4 powerful pro-life speeches from the first GOP presidential debate

On Thursday night, Fox News Channel hosted a primetime debate with the top 10 GOP candidates, based on an average of the last five national polls. Life, abortion, and Planned Parenthood all came up at certain points throughout the debate.

While a number of the candidates were asked about their stances and records, four in particular stood out for their powerful defenses of life.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker

Megyn Kelly, who claimed that abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother, asked Governor Walker about abortion in cases of rape, incest, or “life of the mother” cases, noting legislation Walker signed to protect the preborn.

Walker, however, responded that “there are many other alternatives that can also protect the life of the mother. That’s been consistently proven.”

The Wisconsin governor also took the opportunity to criticize Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton for supporting Planned Parenthood, and further explained his own pro-life credentials:

Unlike Hillary Clinton, who has a radical position in terms of support for Planned Parenthood, I defunded Planned Parenthood more than four years ago, long before any of these videos came out…

He also affirmed: “I’ve got a position that’s in line with everyday America.”

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee

Governor Huckabee was similarly asked a question about his pro-life views: how he will “persuade enough Independents and Democrats to get elected in 2016?”

Huckabee responded that he advocates for a position that is “bolder” than a constitutional amendment, which he described as “a long and difficult process.” He then advocated for using the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment to protect preborn  children:

… And, this notion that we just continue to ignore the personhood of the individual is a violation of that unborn child’s Fifth and 14th Amendment rights for due process and equal protection under the law.

Huckabee also addressed the fetal parts scandal and defunding Planned Parenthood, noting it’s “time to do something more bold.”

He closed with a condemnation against Planned Parenthood:

It’s time that we recognize the Supreme Court is not the supreme being, and we change the policy to be pro-life and protect children instead of rip up their body parts and sell them like they’re parts to a Buick.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio

 

When Megyn Kelly mentioned statements from New York Cardinal Dolan condemning exceptions for rape and incest with abortion, Rubio was quick to set his record straight:

I have never said that. And I have never advocated that. What I have advocated is that we pass law in this country that says all human life at every stage of its development is worthy of protection.

In fact, I think that law already exists. It is called the Constitution of the United States.

Rubio then went on to describe the horror of abortion, especially with regards to how “future generations” will remember our current culture of abortion-on-demand:

And let me go further. I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. Whether they can speak or not. Whether they can hire a lawyer or not. Whether they have a birth certificate or not. And I think future generations will look back at this history of our country and call us barbarians for murdering millions of babies who we never gave them a chance to live.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz

Senator Cruz did not have a chance to give a full response to a question on abortion, but he did condemn Planned Parenthood in his closing statement, promising what he will do on his first day in office:

The next thing I intend to do is instruct the Department of Justice to open an investigation into these videos and to prosecute Planned Parenthood for any criminal violations.