Senator Ted Cruz, the pro-life advocate from Texas, has captured a victory in the Iowa caucus tonight after polling data showed businessman Donald Trump, who is campaigning as a pro-life candidate, with a lead in the early state for weeks. Cruz won the Republican vote followed by Trump and pro-life Florida Senator Marco Rubio jumped up to a surprisingly close third-place finish to come in just behind Trump, nearly overtaking him as well.
With 90 percent of the vote in, Cruz took 28 percent to 24 percent for Trump and 23 percent for Rubio. Ben Carson, a pro-life doctor, finished a distant 4th followed by pro-life Senator Senator Rand Paul in 5th, then Jen Bush, John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Chris Christie, and Rick Santorum.
Cruz recently led a pro-life rally where he discussed his pro-life views.
“Every candidate in a Republican primary says they’re pro-life. That’s what you say in a Republican primary, regardless of the facts,” Cruz said. “The question we ought to ask is, don’t tell me that you’re pro-life. Show me. When have you stood up and fought to defend the right to life?”
Less than a week before the Iowa caucus, Cruz gave the crowd a list of his pro-life actions as U.S. Senator and former Texas solicitor general, including efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood, enact parental notification laws, and prohibit partial-birth abortion, according to ThinkProgess.The news report said hundreds of Iowans “spilled out into the hallways” during the rally.
Cruz aimed some of his comments specifically at fellow Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who some have questioned about the sincerity of his pro-life stance.
“If you care about the right to life, there is a clear difference among candidates,” Cruz said.
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Meanwhile, Republican voters have questioned whether Donald Trump is sufficiently pro-life. But Trump wrote a column outlining his pro-life views on abortion.
Trump opens the column explaining that he is pro-life with exceptions only for the very rarest abortions.
“Let me be clear — I am pro-life. I support that position with exceptions allowed for rape, incest or the life of the mother being at risk,” he said. “I did not always hold this position, but I had a significant personal experience that brought the precious gift of life into perspective for me.”
Trump said America has gone astray because it has moved away from the founding principles the nation’s founders put in most — most notably the right to life.
Finally, Rubio has campaigned on his long pro-life record and, in exclusive comments to LifeNews.com, he said he would sign a bill to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business “immediately” if elected president.
Rubio, who announced a new coalition of pro-life leaders who have formed an advisory board to help him connect with pro-life voters and implement pro-life policies if elected president, said he would sign the bill President Barack Obama recently vetoed that would have de-funded Planned Parenthood.
“Yes, I would [sign the bill],” Rubio told LifeNews.
“We must defund Planned Parenthood, and I have voted multiple times to do so. I have voted against budget deals that include funding for an organization that continuously demonstrates callous disregard for defenseless unborn children,” Rubio continued.
During his first days in office, if elected president, Rubio would have a chance to quickly cut off Planned Parenthood funding by re-implementing the Mexico City Policy that cuts off taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood to promote and perform abortions in other nations. President George W. Bush put the policy back in place, cutting off tens of millions in taxpayer funds for the abortion giant, but President Barack Obama overturned it.
“I will re-implement the Mexico City Policy immediately,” Rubio promised to LifeNews. “As president I will work to make sure that taxpayer dollars are never spent on abortions at home or overseas.”
Rubio also indicated he would work to hold the abortion corporation accountable for selling the body parts of aborted babies.
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