Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) believes the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funding from going to abortions, should be overturned. This amendment has exceptions for when the mother’s health is in jeopardy or in cases of rape and incest.
“Of course we’ve got to fund Planned Parenthood, we’ve got to get rid of the Hyde Amendment, we’ve got to make sure we invest into women’s health care. ” Ryan told MSNBC’s “Live With Stephanie Ruhle” on Wednesday.
Ryan told Rule how important elections are in getting anti-abortion laws struck down.
“But the reality is we’ve got to win elections … we now have the federal courts peppered with conservative pro-life justices. The Supreme Court is a conservative pro-life court. We’ve got to start moving in the right direction here politically and getting elected so that we appoint the judges and we win elections in these states.”
These pro-abortion comments came a day after the presidential candidate spoke at a pro-abortion rally on the steps of the Supreme Court. Ryan asked protesters outside the Supreme Court when legislators were going to “give a sh– about the baby once it’s born.”
Also at the rally, the Ohio representative shared how he flipped his opinion on abortion.
“I used to be an anti-choice Democrat. Then, for the first time, I met women who had had an abortion. And because of their courage, I changed my position. I am here to say, I will walk with you every step of the way,” he said.
“I used to be an anti-choice Democrat. Then, for the first time, I met women who had had an abortion. And because of their courage, I changed my position. I am here to say, I will walk with you every step of the way.” —@RepTimRyan #StopTheBans pic.twitter.com/aeq2FZwGsM
— Reproductive Freedom for All (@reproforall) May 21, 2019
Ryan wrote a 2015 op-ed on Ohio.com talking about how he changed his mind on abortion. In the piece, he describes how he went from being a young, Catholic pro-life politician to a pro-choice Congress member.
“I have come to believe that we must trust women and families — not politicians — to make the best decision for their lives.”
Ryan is not the first Democratic presidential candidate to come out in favor of overturning the Hyde Amendment. In May, both former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) expressed the idea of overturning the amendment.
Real Clear Politics average polls have Ryan ranked 13th in the crowded Democratic field.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Battleground State News.
Photo “Tim Ryan” by NARAL.
