The Republican Party Is Formally Backing Away From Federal Abortion Bans

Donald Trump’s proposed party platform passed a key committee on Monday, setting the stage for significant change in the GOP’s professed policy priorities.

Anti-abortion activists in March for Life 2020.

Evan Vucci/AP

Former President Donald Trump’s proposed Republican Party platform was passed by the party’s Platform Committee on Monday, the first step in officially cutting decades-old language calling for federal abortion restrictions and a constitutional amendment to guarantee rights to fetuses and embryos.

The Trump campaign first emailed excerpts from the proposal that did not mention anything about abortion and then later emailed a link to the full proposed text. A source with knowledge of the proposal had earlier told NOTUS it embraces Trump’s stance that policies on the procedure should be left to the states.

“After 51 years, because of us, that power has been given to the States and to a vote of the People. We will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments),” the proposal reads.