Chris Smith Oddly Silent on New Abortion Bans

None are better than Chris Smith at staying silent, but his silence over new abortion bans such as Alabama’s, which do not include exceptions for rape or incest, is shocking.

Smith, a zealous anti-abortion crusader, never misses an opportunity to speak on the topic. He even went so far as to claim the Affordable Care Act murdered babies, and labeled Obama “the abortion president.”

Abortion is the centerpiece of Smith’s career, and one would think the no-exception restrictions sweeping through statehouses, (and introduced in NJ,) would prompt a response from the head of the Congressional “pro-life” caucus. Other Republicans say the bills go to far, doesn’t Smith want to distance himself from the “carry your rapist’s child” crowd?

Maybe not. Smith tried to ban federal funding for all abortion in 1985, and tried to redefine rape as “forcible rape” in 2011. (This would mean that rape wasn’t “real” unless a victim was beaten, and that statutory rape didn’t count). He is only silent because he knows that forcing a rape victim to carry their rapist’s child is politically toxic.

Smith will cite rape exceptions in the Hyde amendment and his No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act as cover. However, he has never disavowed his no-exceptions legislation, and only dropped the “forcible” from the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act after public backlash.

Further, the Family Research Council, March for Life, Operation Rescue, and Priests for Life, (who employ Smith’s wife Marie, and who he has praised from the House floor,) signed a letter urging Republicans to eliminate rape exceptions and pursue total abortion bans.

Considering Smith’s close alliance and family ties with these groups, and his past efforts to force rape victims to carry their rapist’s child, he likely supports the new bans without rape exceptions. We haven’t heard otherwise.