Vote for Hillary Clinton to fight abortion, Eric Sapp urges

A Christian writer has suggested that pro-life voters should elect Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton if they are concerned about the unborn. Eric Sapp, the executive director of American Values Network, implied that there will be less abortions under a Democratic president than a Republican.

In an op-ed for the Christian Post, Sapp pointed out that Republican leaders have not been consistent in their pro-life position because they have passed bills that allowed exceptions for late-term abortions in cases of rape and incest.

"Even the House Republican late-term abortion bill that passed the House and failed in the Senate on a party-line vote included exceptions allowing late-term abortion if the child was conceived through rape or incest or the woman's life was in danger," Sapp wrote.

Sapp noted that the rate of abortions increased under Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush but dropped under the terms of Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. He also pointed out that Republicans have not done much to limit abortions under President George W. Bush.

"Under Bush, Republicans controlled the House and Senate, and 2/3 of the Supreme Court," he noted, adding, "And what did Republicans do to overturn Roe or in any meaningful way limit abortion? Nothing."

Sapp also suggested that the Democrats are more effective in reducing poverty and unwanted pregnancies because Republicans are trying to cut medical care, food programs and contraception coverage for the poor.

He asserted that reducing poverty would do more to lower abortion rates than overturning Roe v. Wade.

"Increase contraception access, family leave, and improve pre- and post- natal healthcare, and we'd cut abortions by 50% or more," Sapp suggested.

Dr. Richard Land, the president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, wrote a response stating that Clinton is a dangerous choice for pro-life voters.

He argued that Republicans reluctantly accepted the exceptions to abortion bills because they had to compromise in order to save more lives. Land pointed out that Democrats are campaigning to repeal the Hyde Amendment which restricts federal funding of abortions.

Land acknowledged that abortion rates went up under Reagan and Bush senior but he indicated that the fertility and birth rates were also high.

"Yes, it is true that abortion numbers go up in Republican presidential terms. However, so does the fertility rate," Land wrote in his column for the Christian Post. "In other words, more women get pregnant during Republican presidential terms."

Land suggested that it is more reliable to elect a pro-life president and lawmakers to get rid of abortions.