Democratic leaders hurt their own party by ousting pro-life voters

The March for Life has a 44-year track record of inclusivity. Each year, thousands of people across all state, cultural and party lines travel from every corner of this country to march side by side, shoulder to shoulder, down the streets of our nation’s capital for the protection and dignity of human life. For those few, frigid miles, we march not only as individuals from different backgrounds, but as a pro-life community united in our purpose to defend the inherent dignity of all human life.

Last weekend, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez made it clear that this community — even the vehement Democrats among us — is not welcome within the Democratic party. As he demanded that unwavering support for abortion is “not negotiable” for “every Democrat,” Perez made the conscious decision to alienate the 23 percent of Democrat voters who identify as pro-life.

Abortion lobby lost big this election — life is a winning issue https://t.co/eZqGrdY1RR @jeannemfl @thehill #prolife

— March for Life (@March_for_Life) November 14, 2016

Perez and the DNC have chosen to side with the federally-funded abortion industry and its leaders like Planned Parenthood, which is the largest abortion provider in the U.S., responsible for over 300,000 abortions this year alone. This means that the Democratic party is decisively ignoring the 44 percent of Democrats who do not want taxpayer dollars to fund abortions.

{mosads}Sadly, the DNC’s exclusion of pro-life Democrats shouldn’t come as surprise. During the 2016 election, we saw firsthand how little they think of pro-life Democratic voters when they proposed the most extreme abortion platform in all of U.S. history. Abandoning her husband’s “safe, legal and rare” standard for abortion, Hillary Clinton stood steadfast on this extreme abortion platform and campaigned on a full repeal of the Hyde Amendment — opening the door to on-demand abortion and effectively writing off the pro-life base.

Pro-life democrats weren’t the only group turned off by the extremity of the party’s platform. During the 2016 election cycle, Clinton and the DNC effectively disregarded the overwhelming consensus on abortion. While the left pushed for unlimited access to abortion at all stages of pregnancy, the majority of Americans strongly disagree.

March for Life: A rally America’s first feminists would have joinedhttps://t.co/j0yUJP5wOx @March_for_Life @LilaGraceRose pic.twitter.com/JcVhZXvtWD

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According to recent Marist polling, nearly 8 in 10 Americans support some restrictions on abortion (74 percent), and would limit it to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy. This number includes 54 percent of those who identify as pro-choice.

The March for Life recognizes how important both sides of the political aisle are in promoting and protecting the sanctity of life. Since 1975, we have welcomed 17 Democratic Members of Congress, most recently including current Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-lll.), to the March for Life stage, and countless groups and individuals who are pro-life Democrats.

Humanity is perhaps the single thing we all have in common. It is time for lawmakers and party leaders to realize that abortion is not just a political entity; it is a social justice and human rights issue. Many, including myself, believe that abortion is the greatest human rights abuse of our time.

Between consistent polling and a telling election, the pro-life voice has never been louder. It’s time for the Democratic party to drop the abortion extremism and listen to the American people, who want substantial abortion restrictions, no taxpayer funding of abortion, and inclusivity within their party for pro-life Democrats.  

Jeanne Mancini is the President of the March for Life.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.