Pro-Life Tom Cotton Defeats Pro-Abortion Mark Pryor in Arkansas

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 4, 2014   |   9:34PM   |   Little Rock, AR

Arkansas had one of the hottest Senate races in the country this Fall and leading national pro-life groups said voters in the Natural State had a clear preference when it comes to which candidate is more concerned about protecting women and unborn children.

The National Right to Life Committee, together with its affiliate, Arkansas Right to Life, endorsed Rep. Tom Cotton for election to the U.S. Senate. Today, he defeated pro-abortion Sen. Mark Pryor.

tomcotton“As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tom Cotton has been a strong advocate for the right-to-life cause,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Tom Cotton is needed in the U.S. Senate to continue his strong advocacy on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our society.”

During his service in the U.S. House of Representatives, Cotton has consistently voted pro-life, NRLC informed LifeNews today.

He voted to for a bill, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, to protect unborn children at 20 weeks, a point by which the unborn child is capable of experiencing great pain when being killed by dismemberment or other late abortion methods (H.R. 1797, 6/18/13, roll call no. 251). Cotton has also voted to repeal Obamacare, which created a national program of massive federal subsidies for insurance plans that cover abortion, and imposes rationing of lifesaving medical care.

Cotton’s unequivocal pro-life position stands in contrast with Sen. Mark Pryor, who has refused to sponsor the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S. 1670) in the U.S. Senate, NRLC told LifeNews.com.

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Pryor told Politico that he is “skeptical” about such legislation. Pryor also voted for the pro-abortion, pro-rationing Obamacare law. Earlier this month, he joined with other Senate Democrats in seeking to advance legislation (S. 2578) that, if enacted, would further empower the Obama Administration to mandate coverage of the abortion pill RU-486, surgical abortion (including late abortions), or anything else it chooses to classify as “preventive services,” overriding all existing federal laws that protect religious freedom and conscience rights.

“Mark Pryor has tried to have it both ways on the right-to-life issues, but nearly 12 years of waffling and ducking is enough,” said Jacki Ragan, Arkansas director to the National Right to Life Board of Directors.

“Unborn children, and those whose lives are threatened by Obamacare deserve better,” said Rose Mimms, executive director of Arkansas Right to Life. “They deserve a senator who will stand up and give them a voice in the U.S. Senate. They deserve Tom Cotton.”