Photo Credit: Kate Bryan
Washington, DC – The Republican National Committee passed a resolution last Friday during their winter meeting outlining the party’s strategy in handling prolife issues. The RNC resolution was written to help the party and its candidates counter the “War on Women” rhetoric used frequently by Democrats. It encourages candidates to fight back during these kinds of attacks.
The resolution states that candidates who stay silent on life fail to identify with their key voters and they miss the opportunity to alert voters to “Democrats’ extreme pro-abortion stances.” The resolution also notes that these candidates lose their elections.
You can read the full resolution below.
RESOLUTION ON REPUBLICAN PRO-LIFE STRATEGY
Whereas, The Democrats have waged a deceptive “War on Women” attack against Republican pro-life candidates, demonizing them and manipulating American voters;
Whereas, The Republican Party is proud to stand up for the rights of the unborn and believe all Americans have an unalienable right to life as stated in The Declaration of Independence;
Whereas, Pro-life Republicans should fight back against deceptive rhetoric regardless of those in the Republican Party who encourage them to stay silent;
Whereas, Candidates who stay silent on pro-life issues do not identify with key voters, fail to alert voters to the Democrats’ extreme pro-abortion stances, and have lost their elections;
Whereas, According to the extensive polling conducted by Gallup since 1975, many Republican stances regarding abortion garner at least 60 % support from the public and across the political spectrum:
· 87% support informed-consent laws about certain possible risks of the abortion procedure;
· 80% support banning abortion during the 3rd trimester;
· 71% support parental consent laws;
· 69% support imposing a 24-hour wait period before an abortion;
· 64% of Americans support banning abortion during the 2nd trimester;
· 64% support banning partial-birth abortion;
· 64% support spousal notification laws that require the husband to be simply notified if his wife seeks an abortion;Whereas, Staying silent fails because this strategy allows Democrats to define the Republican brand and prevents the Republican Party from taking advantage of widely supported pro-life positions listed above to attract traditional and new values voters; and
Whereas, Staying silent fails to alert voters to the Democrats’ extreme pro-abortion stances, which voters are repelled by; therefore let it be
RESOLVED, The Republican National Committee condemns the Democrats’ deceptive “war on women” rhetoric;
RESOLVED, The Republican National Committee will support Republican pro-life candidates who fight back against Democratic deceptive “war on women” rhetoric by pointing out the extreme positions on abortion held by Democratic opponents;
RESOLVED, The Republican National Committee will not support the strategy of Republican pro-life candidates who stay silent in the face of such deceptive rhetoric; and,
RESOLVED, The Republican National Committee urges all Republican pro-life candidates, consultants, and other national Republican Political Action Committees to reject a strategy of silence on the abortion issue when candidates are attacked with “war on women” rhetoric.
Chief Sponsor: Ellen Barrosse, NCW, DE
Co-Sponsors:
Debbie Joslin, NCW, AK
Ed Martin, Chairman, MO
Morton Blackwell, NCM, VA
Kathy Hayden, NCW, VA
Donna Cain, NCW, OR
Solomon Yue, NCM, OR
Demetra DeMonte, NCW, IL
Melody Potter, NCW, WV
Kris Warner, NCM, WV
Ron Philips, Chairman, DC
Pat Longo, NCW, CT
Bruce Ash, NCM, AZ
Steve Scheffler, NCM, IA
Dave Agema, NCM, MI
Robin Armstrong, NCM, TX
“Republican committeemen and women affirm what women know. It is time to be fearless, compassionate and purposeful in communicating our life-affirming views. To fail to do so undermines the purpose of running for office: winning so we can lead,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony List, said praising the the committee’s action.
Ellen Barrosse, the National Committeewoman from Delaware, was the chief sponsor and author of the resolution. “Some Republican candidates have adopted a strategy of deflection and silence when attacked with ‘War on Women’ rhetoric, and we’ve now seen that silence is a losing strategy,” said Barrosse. “If Republican candidates want to connect with key voters, such as women, Hispanics, and young people – they need to fight back on the life issue when attacked. Poll after poll demonstrates that Americans are repelled by the pro-abortion stances of some Democratic candidates, and this resolution encourages Republican candidates to speak out against Democrat’s extremism on the life issue.”
Barrosse is a board member of American Principles in Action who this fall released their report rebutting the GOP autopsy report.
“The social issues are winning issues, and Republicans are beginning to recognize that,” Frank Cannon, President of American Principles in Action, added, “Our recent report ‘Building a Winning Coalition’ made that evidence clear.”
“This resolution, paired with the news that the RNC will participate in the 41st annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., is a powerful step in the right direction for the Republican Party,” Cannon said. “Abortion is one of the most contentious issues of our time, but the majority of voters stand with the Republican Party on life. If Republican candidates want to start winning elections, they must stand strong on the life issues and they should listen to the RNC on this new resolution,” Cannon added.
Update: Iowa RNC Committeewoman Tamara Scott told Caffeinated Thoughts that she was happy with the resolution. “I applaud my fellow RNC members for for taking a stand for life and I am grateful to Chairman Reince Priebus for taking such a bold step as to reschedule RNC meetings so that the committee members could participate in the March for Life,” Scott said. “The morale was high and energy renewed as Committee Members were pleased to brave the cold and March for Life.”