In bringing together 13 colonies to form one nation, our Founding Fathers recognized the importance of keeping power closer to the people. They enshrined their solution, federalism, in the 10th Amendment to the Constitution: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”
With its Dobbs opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court has taken authority over abortion-related policy questions out of the hands of unelected judges and returned that power to we, the people. This month, Kansas voters were the first in the nation to exercise that power at the ballot box. Agree or disagree with the outcome, Kansans have had their say, and that’s how our system of government is supposed to work.
Decisions on abortion policy belong close to the people, at the state level, and that’s where I’ll work to keep them as a member of Congress. I don’t support a federal ban on abortion, nor do I support any other federal policymaking related to contraception or fertility. As a pro-life candidate, I will continue to be part of the dialogue on this issue at the state level, but I believe it’s not Congress’ place to impose a national abortion policy on Kansans.
My commitment to the dignity and sanctity of life is evidenced in the organization I started to help moms and young children who are struggling. We need to care for children and families at every stage of life, and this includes support in the early years. Supporting these families involves empowering them with decisions at the state and local level. We must respect the power of individuals and families — not the federal government — to make decisions and have a voice.
My opponent, Rep. Sharice Davids, disagrees. She wants the federal government to make every decision about abortion policy, preempting our ability, as Kansans, to decide for ourselves. By supporting the so-called Women’s Health Protection Act, my opponent has again reinforced her extreme position: support for the right to abortion on demand for any reason.
In Kansas, people of good conscience have long come together in support of commonsense abortion limits. Here, we don’t permit the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortion. We believe parents should be part of the conversation when minors are making these very difficult decisions. We believe women should have access to the best medical information available to them at every step in the process. Guided by medical science, we don’t permit abortion after 20 weeks of gestation, when unborn babies are capable of feeling pain. We don’t allow abortion for the purpose of sex selection. And Kansas law requires that parents be notified if their minor child is seeking an abortion.
My opponent has voted for legislation that could strike down many abortion clinic safety regulations enacted locally by voters in their own states. She’s voted for a law that could strike down reason-based bans that, according to the pro-choice Center for Reproductive Rights, prevent abortions based on gender. She even voted for legislation that could violate the bipartisan Hyde Amendment, a long-standing and popular provision supported by many other Democrats, including President Joe Biden, which prevents federal tax dollars from funding abortions.
Her positions aren’t just radical. They’re dangerous.
Unfortunately, as November approaches, millions of dollars will be spent to misrepresent my position on abortion, in an effort to maintain Democrats’ failing one-party rule in Washington, D.C. Try as they might, mudslingers cannot erase my long record of working to support women, children and families. I believe we have a responsibility to support mothers and care for families at every stage of life, including support during a child’s earliest years. I started an organization that helps do just that here in the 3rd Congressional District.
My record and positions are clear, and you have my word: I will continue to defend the Constitution, oppose government overreach in our lives, and support local control. I will do everything in my power to support women, mothers, children and families. While always valuing life at every stage, I will oppose a federal ban on abortion and respect Kansas’ right to decide abortion policy questions for itself.
Amanda Adkins is a leader in health care, a mother, the former chair of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and a founder of SOCI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping prepare young children for the workforce. She is running for U.S. Congress in Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District.
Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article264763094.html#storylink=cpy