Republican Presidential Candidates Debate Defunding Planned Parenthood

Pro-life issues were prominent in a three-hour Republican presidential debate Wednesday evening. The Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, played host to the debate aired live on CNN.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina challenged Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Clinton’s support of Planned Parenthood.

“I dare Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to watch these tapes, to watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart is beating, its legs are kicking, then someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain,” Fiorina said, referring to a video released last month by the anti-abortion group the Center for Medical Progress, in which a former worker for StemExpress says she saw a fully formed fetus’ heart beating.

“This is about the character of our nation,” she added. “And if we will not stand up and force President Obama to veto this bill, shame on us.”

Senators Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Kentucky), both presidential candidates, have called for a government shutdown in hopes of defunding Planned Parenthood.

Ohio Governor and candidate John Kasich indicated he was not for a government shut to end funding for Planned Parenthood.

“I would not be for shutting the government down, because I don’t think it’s going to work out,” Kasich said.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush defended his earlier statement that the federal government should spend less on women’s health care. Although he has been attacked by Hillary Clinton for the statement, Bush said he was referring to Planned Parenthood.

Candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee looked to a future where “abortion would be no more.”

“I just come down on the side that life is precious; every life has worth and value,” Huckabee said. “I don’t think we discount the intrinsic worth of any human being, and I don’t know where else to go with it than just to be consistent and say, if life matters, and that’s a person, then every life matters.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared himself “the brand-new, first-ever pro-life governor of New Jersey.” He has repeatedly defunded Planned Parenthood.

Earlier in the evening at the pre-debate debate, Governor Bobby Jindal (La.) also called for defunding Planned Parenthood.

“Planned Parenthood is selling baby parts across this country, and the Senate Republicans have already given up, even without a fight,” Jindal said.