Politics

Rick Perry signs pro-life pledge

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On Wednesday, Texas Governor Rick Perry became the seventh Republican presidential candidate to sign the Susan B. Anthony List’s Pro-Life Presidential Leadership Pledge.

The pledge represents the minimum requirement for a candidate to be considered a “pro-life” president, should he or she be elected. It includes promises to appoint only pro-life jurists to federal judgeships, nominate pro-lifers to pertinent cabinet positions, push for legislation to defund all government spending on abortions, and sign into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

“Governor Perry has been a long-time friend of, and leader for, the pro-life community,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “His signature on our pledge is more than welcome and we applaud him for his commitment to continue to fight for women and unborn children.”

SBA List has asked all declared candidates to sign the pledge. To date Michele Bachmann, Thad McCotter, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have signed. Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson and Mitt Romney have not signed. (Perry dominates, problems for Romney in new Daily Caller/ConservativeHome Tracking Poll)

“I not only pledge to protect unborn life, but have a record of doing so in Texas,” said Perry in a statement.”I have signed legislation requiring parental consent for a minor to obtain an abortion, and have long advocated adoption as an alternative to abortion in order to protect unborn children.”

The four principles of the SBA List pledge:

FIRST, to nominate to the U.S. federal bench judges who are committed to restraint and applying the original meaning of the Constitution, not legislating from the bench;

SECOND, to select only pro-life appointees for relevant Cabinet and Executive Branch positions, in particular the head of National Institutes of Health, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health & Human Services;

THIRD, to advance pro-life legislation to permanently end all taxpayer funding of abortion in all domestic and international spending programs, and defund Planned Parenthood and all other contractors and recipients of federal funds with affiliates that perform or fund abortions;

FOURTH, advance and sign into law a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion.

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