Fact Check: Did Obama vote against care for children born during abortions?
The Statement
During an October 15 presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain attacked Democratic opponent Sen. Barack Obama for his stance on abortion. "Sen. Obama, as a member of the Illinois State Senate, voted in the Judiciary Committee against a law that would provide immediate medical attention to a child born of a failed
abortion," McCain said.
Get the facts!
The Facts
McCain is citing a 2003 vote Obama made in the Illinois senate's Judiciary Committee. The bill's language said "a live child born as a result of an abortion shall be fully recognized as a human person and accorded immediate protection under the law."
Obama justified his vote against the bill, saying its language would have undermined the legal protections for abortion provided by Roe vs. Wade. At the October 15 debate he also defended it, saying, "there was already a law on the books in Illinois that required providing life-saving treatment."
A law passed in Illinois in 1975 does require life-saving treatment if a child is born alive during an abortion. Under the law, if a child is delivered alive during an abortion, a doctor "shall exercise the same degree of professional skill, care and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as would be required of a physician" for any other newborn.
The 2003 bill did not make it out of the Judiciary committee. When a similar bill came before the Illinois senate in 2002, Obama voted against it and in 2001 he voted "present" — a procedural maneuver lawmakers sometimes use if they have a conflict of interest or to effectively vote against legislation but express some uncertainty or general support for an idea they find otherwise flawed. The McCain campaign has criticized Obama's "present" votes as an unwillingness to take stands on controversial issues.
Verdict: True, but incomplete. Obama did not vote for the legislation, but there was already an Illinois law that required treating babies born alive during abortions
i dont really care, the man cant even answer a simple question......."at what point does a baby get human rights?"
you want to know his answer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRZX_ndZN-g
we all do, but he's not saying!!
to me its a i dont have a back bone and cant take a stance IMO
Quoting DixieFlower:
Wow to me present meant I don't totally agree or disagree with the bill as written.
Quoting housewife420:
sorry but another reason i wont vote for him. his "present" votes is just a way to say i dont care either way.
Ok so if you agree with part of something but strongly disagree with the rest of it how do you vote? yes or no?
Quoting housewife420:
to me its a i dont have a back bone and cant take a stance IMO
Quoting DixieFlower:
Wow to me present meant I don't totally agree or disagree with the bill as written.
Quoting housewife420:
sorry but another reason i wont vote for him. his "present" votes is just a way to say i dont care either way.
I was soooo offended at McCain's pro abortion comments last night. That was complete ignorance. I am proudly pro-choice, NOT pro abortion.
Quoting DixieFlower:
No he is in support of a woman's choice. Pro Choice does not equal pro abortion.
Quoting ilovemybabtyler:
this piece of crap said his first priority was to sign the freedom of choice act... HE SUCKS AND IS IN SUPPORT OF BABY KILLING!!!
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on Oct. 16, 2008 at 8:04 PM