New York Times Invents Differences Between Romney And Ryan On Anti-Women Policies

Special Programs Abortion Rights & Reproductive Health

Written by Adam Shah

Published

A New York Times article suggested that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) favors policies that restrict women's health care such as cutting off funds to Planned Parenthood, but Mitt Romney does not. In fact, Romney supports each of the anti-women policies cited by the Times.

The Times suggested that Ryan has “more conservative views” than Romney because Ryan has cast votes that “would restrict family planning financing overseas, cut off all federal funds to Planned Parenthood and repeal President Obama's health care law.” From the Times:

On Tuesday, Republicans approved platform language for next week's nominating convention that calls for a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion with no explicit exceptions for cases of rape or incest. That is a view more restrictive than Mr. Romney's, who has said that he supports exceptions to allow abortions in cases of rape.

Mr. Ryan's more conservative views, which have been reflected in votes that would restrict family planning financing overseas, cut off all federal funds to Planned Parenthood and repeal President Obama's health care law, have come into sharp relief as Mr. Akin struggles for his political life. Mr. Akin and Mr. Ryan each have voted in this Congress for 10 abortion-restricting measures as well as those that limited other family planning services.

 But Romney has taken identical positions to Ryan on each of the women's health issues mentioned by the Times:

  • Ryan voted for an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood. Likewise, Romney has repeatedly said he will “end federal funding for ... Planned Parenthood.”
  • Ryan has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Likewise, Romney has pledged to “work with Congress to repeal [the Affordable Care Act] as quickly as possible.”
  • Ryan voted for an amendment to restrict family planning overseas by banning federal funding for any group that supports or performs abortions in foreign country. Likewise, Romney has said that he would defund any family planning organization that supports abortions overseas:

I will reinstate the Mexico City Policy to ensure that nongovernmental organizations that receive funding from America refrain from performing or promoting abortion services as a method of family planning, in other countries. This includes ending American funding for any United Nations or other foreign assistance program that promotes or performs abortions on women around the world.