Tim Kaine's support of the anti-abortion Hyde Amendment, reaffirmed after the convention, signals a break from running mate Hillary Clinton who has vowed to repeal it, reported CNN.
Kaine, who was chosen last week as Clinton's vice presidential candidate, gave liberals pause when he said on CNN's morning show "New Day" on Friday that he supports the law that bans the use of federal money for abortion.
"I have been for the Hyde Amendment and I have not changed my position on that," Kaine told CNN.
The position contradicts Kaine's representative who said that Kaine would support Clinton in her efforts to repeal the law, said ABC News. Abortion supporters had expressed concern about Kaine because of his "mixed record" on abortion rights while serving as Virginia governor, noted NBC News.
"Low income women and women of color too often face barriers to health care, and for this reason he has been a strong supporter of Planned Parenthood and other programs and services that ensure the full range of reproductive health care services for all women," Karen Finney, Kaine's spokeswoman, told Politico on Friday.
Kaine, who is Catholic, has said in the past that he opposes abortion personally but does not want to end the procedure, said Bloomberg.
In a tweet that has since been deleted, Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice American, called Kaine's statement Friday "deeply disappointing," said Politico.
"While we appreciate Senator Kaine's clarification that he will support the nominee's position on this, we sincerely hope that Senator Kaine will continue to educate himself on what Hyde means to the most vulnerable women in this country and join us in fighting this injustice," the delated NARAL statement said, per Politico.
Mallory Quigley, a spokeswoman for the Susan B. Anthony List, which opposes abortion rights, expressed frustration with Kaine's muddled position, said Politico.
"Kaine has flip flopped his position on taxpayer funding of abortion five times in the last month," Quigley said. "This is getting old."
Groups like the National Right to Life Committee have supported the Hyde Amendment, pointing to one statistic that one in four women on Medicaid who wanted abortions end up not getting one because of lack of funds, noted NBC News.
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