Kelly Cooper (L) said Greg Stanton wanted “abortion until birth” and opposed parental notification of abortion for minors and doctors giving medical treatment to fetuses in botched abortions. || AP pool
By Tara Kavaler ||The Arizona Republic
Incumbent Rep. Greg Stanton and Republican challenger Kelly Cooper tried Wednesday to paint each other as the “extremist” candidate on issues such as abortion rights and the 2020 election results.
Stanton, D-Ariz., and Cooper squared off in a debate televised on Arizona PBS.
The back and forth on abortion began with Cooper saying he opposes a federal ban and believes that the issue should be decided at the state level. He would like to see exceptions for the life of the mother, rape and incest, he said.
Cooper said Stanton wanted “abortion until birth” and opposed parental notification of abortion for minors and doctors giving medical treatment to fetuses in botched abortions.
Stanton voted for and supports the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021, which does not permit unrestricted access to abortion services.
Stanton responded by characterizing Cooper as supporting a comprehensive abortion ban without exceptions, citing Cooper’s answers to the socially conservative Center for Arizona Policy.
Cooper said in response to the anti-abortion organization’s survey that he supported “prohibiting abortion except when it is necessary to prevent the death of the mother.” He added the following comment: “As a federal candidate this issue should not be handled on my level. I am pro-life and am expecting our state legislature will address this.”
Cooper does say on his website: “The unborn will have a friend in Congress when I am elected.”
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