Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush seemed to contradict himself on abortion policy this weekend in an appearance on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. Bush was asked about funding Planned Parenthood and seemed to indicate he would continue to fund the controversial abortion provider in order to keep the government open.
Wallace asked Bush: “You say the next President could defund Planned Parenthood. when you say ‘the next President,’ does that mean you are against a conceivable government shutdown in order to force this president?”
Bush responded that “I’m against a government shutdown-that’s not how democracy works.”
Bush had previously said just a few weeks ago at the Southern Baptist Forum that despite a looming battle over a CR to keep the government open, he agreed not another federal penny should go to Planned Parenthood.
“We have a continuing resolution coming up to fund the government,” the moderator said. “Given the atrocity of these children being destroyed with such callous disregard for their lives – shouldn’t we make that an issue and say not one more red cent to Planned Parenthood?”
“We should,” Bush said. “The next President should defund Planned Parenthood.”
The apparent flip flop certainly won’t help Bush with conservatives in places like Iowa. The 2016 GOP White House hopeful has fallen to 10th among the most conservative voters in the “first in the nation” caucus and is 6th overall. Bush has also struggled in New Hampshire, and even his home state of Florida.
