This post is the first in a series discussing the core principles of Duncan Hunter, as listed on his official website. We will be addressing them in oder, as they appear. So, no particular importance is placed on the order. First up is Duncan’s stance on right to life. While I think he hits it out of the park on his general stance, there are some contradictions with respect to his voting record. I realize that this may simply be a case of not throwing the baby out with the bath water. As often occurs when legislation is cobbled. Most notably, Mr. Hunter voted for federal funds to be directed toward stem cell research not involving human embryos. While this stance is laudable, I think Mr. Hunter needs to clarify two points important to conservatives.
(1) Should any federal funds be allocated to private enterprise, without justifiable evidence that said enterprise contributes to the general welfare? This would fall within the scope of the federal mandate. But, as of yet, stem cell research seems provide some promise and little result. The job of the Federal Government is not that of venture capitalist.
(2) His vote regarding funding with regards to ‘abortion on demand’ is somewhat noncommittal. Again, this may be a result of the verbiage within the bill, not Mr. Hunters own sentiment on the matter. But the central question remains. Is the right to terminate the life of an unborn, genetically unique being, the sole right of the mother? Or is that a shared right of both genetic contributors?
These and other questions were discussed in the forum over the weekend. Feel free to check in and leave your two cents.
Abortion/Life
1. Right to Life Amendment:
I would amend the U.S. Constitution and provide blanket protection to all unborn children from the moment of conception by prohibiting any state or federal law that denies the personhood of the unborn. Likewise, I have also introduced the Right to Life Act, which would legally define “personhood” as the moment of conception and, therefore, guarantee all constitutional rights and protections, including life, to the unborn without utilizing a constitutional amendment.
2. Federal laws relating to abortion and human life protections (e.g, embryonic research and end of life, etc.):
There are several areas of federal law that require human life protections. I have cosponsored the following pieces of legislation:
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The Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, which would amend the federal criminal code to prohibit transporting a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion, if this action circumvents the minor’s native state’s parental involvement law. I voted in favor of this bill when it passed the House 270-157 on April 27, 2005.
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The Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2005, which would prohibit and criminalize efforts at reproductive cloning.
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The Parent’s Right to Know Act of 2005, which would prohibit federal funding to carry out federal family planning programs in which service providers in the project knowingly provides contraceptive drugs or devices to a minor, except in specific circumstances.
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The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2006, which would require abortion providers to notify women who want to have an abortion 20 weeks after fertilization that the evidence suggests their unborn child feels pain and they may request anesthesia for their unborn child in order to reduce or eliminate the pain.
I have also supported human life protection efforts with the following votes:
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I supported the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act, banning the practice of fetal farming, the creation of embryos specifically for the purposes of scientific research.
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I voted in favor of the Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act, which would direct federal funding to stem-cell research that does not rely on embryos.
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I voted against the Stem-Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which would have directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem-cells, regardless of the date on which the stem-cells were derived from a human embryo.
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I voted against amendments offered to the National Defense Authorization Act permitting taxpayer funded military facilities overseas to be used to support abortions on demand for military women and military dependents.
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I voted against amendments providing UN funding to groups that support coercive abortion programs.
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