Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley says she wants to help Americans find a consensus on abortion.
The pro-life former governor of South Carolina and current presidential hopeful says she applauds states that have passed laws to protect babies from abortions and help women. But she noted the inability to get a national abortion ban passed and the difficulty of getting radically pro-abortion states to become pro-life.
“I said I want to save as many babies and help as many moms as possible. That is my goal, to do that at the federal level. The next president must find national consensus,” Haley said.
“These questions miss the point that the goal is about saving as many lives as possible,” Haley said. “You don’t save any lives if you can’t enact your position in the law. And you can’t do that unless you find consensus.”
“We have to face this reality,” she said Tuesday. “The pro-life laws that have passed in strongly Republican states will not be approved at the federal level.”
The GOP hopeful said she opposes abortions and would not hide from her pro-life position.
“It’s one that too many politicians either demagogue or hide from it. I won’t demagogue or hide from [it]. I’m here to speak about it directly and open,” Haley said.
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Although Haley said a national abortion ban would be incredibly difficult to enact, she did say she wants to find ways to protect as many babies as possible. For one pro-life group, that is the slight difference between her position and that of former President Donald trump, whose campaign spokesman said he has taken a federal abortion ban off the table.
“We are thankful for Ambassador Nikkie Haley sharing her vision for a pro-life America in this new moment when the people finally have a say in the debate. She understands that the topic of abortion is not going away and that you must lean in, not lean back,” SBA Pro-Life America said. “The American people deserve a compassionate debate centered around the humanity of both mother & child. She promised to not demonize either side of this issue but to approach it with the careful consideration that is needed. States have every right & should protect life.”
“But Ambassador Haley also understands that as a nation we must build a national consensus to save as many lives and serve as many women as possible. America should be leading this charge, but instead many states align their up-to-birth abortion policies with the communist regimes of China and North Korea,” the group added. “We are clear on Ambassador Haley’s commitment to acting on the American consensus against late-term abortion by protecting unborn children by at least 15 weeks when they can feel excruciating pain.”
Haley previously said she favored the bill put forward to ban abortions at 15 weeks and suggested that could be a potential compromise.
“Last year, the court returned the power to the American people,” Haley said. “We are now free to forge consensus once again.”
“I believe in conversation. I believe in compassion,” she said. “We’re not just talking about policy here. We’re talking about people.”
“I respect everyone who has their story,” Haley went on. “I don’t judge someone who is pro-choice, any more than I want them to judge me for being pro-life.”
Common ground already exists, Haley argued in her speech.
“There is broad public agreement that babies born during a failed abortion deserve to live. They need medical attention and the full protection of the law just like every other baby,” she said. “There is broad political agreement that we should never pressure moms into having an abortion. They should get support to carry their baby to term. They should be able to get information from pregnancy resource centers, and especially about adoption.”
While Haley says she wants a consensus, getting one is impossible because there is very little compromise between killing babies in abortions up to birth or protecting the lives of babies from certain death. Democrats voted against protecting babies who survive abortions, and they want to shut down pregnancy centers that help women.
