President Bush and John Kerry
On the Issues Important to Catholics

(Information provided by the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign, except for the link.)


Bush: Results for Catholics

  • Building a Culture of Life: President Bush is the most pro-life president in history. On his first day in office President Bush Reactivated Ronald Reagan’s Mexico City Policy which prevents international organizations from receiving federal funds for performing or actively promoting abortion. He has signed into law the Born Alive Infants Act, the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, and Laci & Connor Peterson’s Law.

     

  • Defending Traditional Marriage: President Bush believes in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, and has endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment. To prevent activist judges from unilaterally legislating the definition of our most fundamental social institution, the President has called on Congress to pass an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife.

     

  • Appointing and Nominating Judges who will preserve Traditional Values: President Bush is opposed to appointing liberal judges who want to impose their own personal opinions in striking down our laws that preserve traditional values. He has made recess appointments to those qualified conservative judges the Senate refuses to give a fair vote.

     

  • Funding Stem Cell Research: The President developed a policy that will allow us to explore the promise of stem-cell research without undermining the ethical principles that have guided medical research in this country for decades. In FY03 the Administration provided $190.7 million for human non-embryonic stem cells (adult stem cells, including those from cord blood, placenta, and bone marrow).

     

  • Opposed to Human Cloning: The Bush Administration unequivocally is opposed to the cloning of human beings either for reproduction or research.

     

  • Promoting Human Rights: President Bush has made it a top priority of his administration to combat the scourge of trafficking in persons, especially women and children. Since 2001, Human Trafficking Prosecutions have tripled. The President has proposed over $150 million over two years to combat worldwide trafficking in persons, predominantly women and children forced into sexual slavery.


Kerry: Wrong for Catholics

  • John Kerry is the First Presidential Candidate to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund. In 1984, Kerry said he would vote against “Any restrictions on age, consent, funding restrictions, or any law to limit access to abortion.” John Kerry voted at least six times against banning partial birth abortion, and he voted at least 25 times in favor of using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions in the United States. Senator Kerry opposes requiring parental consent or notification for a minor daughter’s abortion.

     

  • In 1996, Kerry was one of just 14 Senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act which banned Federal recognition of Gay Marriage and Same-Sex Partner Benefits. 85 Senators voted in favor of the Act and it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

     

  • John Kerry has been an obstruction in the Senate blocking these qualified judges. Senator Kerry said he would filibuster any pro-life Supreme Court Nominee.

     

  • Kerry says he would allow unrestricted embryonic stem cell research. Kerry was one of several Senators to sign letter to President Bush, urging allowance of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. He voted against the ban on fetal tissue research on cells from aborted fetuses and voted against disclosure of fetal tissue from abortions.

     

  • Human Cloning – In 1998, Senator Kerry voted against invoking cloture to Human Cloning Prohibition Act.

     

  • More reasons why Kerry is wrong for Catholics.