Cameron Right to Life questionnaire raises questions
Published 3:06 pm Thursday, September 14, 2023
As part of his campaign, Cameron filled out a Northern Kentucky Right to Life questionnaire, and some of his responses have raised questions.
The questionnaire included a multi-part question asking whether candidates would support the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, “which provides for the expenditure of funds for the payment of abortion.”
The same question also asked if candidates would repeal the Federal HHS Mandate part of the ACA that requires employers to provide healthcare insurance including things like “contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortion-producing drugs,” regardless of religious convictions.
Cameron answered yes. However, he has previously stated that he would not reverse the expansion of Medicare, a key component of the Affordable Care Act.
“I understand from talking to health care providers why the expansion of Medicaid was important,” he said at a recent presser.
“Because when folks come into the ER, the hospital, if they’re not covering that, it’s going to bear the cost of serving that person, and they’re not able to put that money back into their facility or making improvements to our health care industry.”
He said on Thursday that he wants the program to remain solvent for means tested, medically necessary individuals, while establishing work requirements for able-bodied Kentuckians.
Another part of the questionnaire asked whether candidates would support legislation banning the use of Medicare and Medicaid funds for abortion, as well as “the morning after pill” and the “standard birth control pill.”
Cameron also responded yes to that question.
On Thursday, he was asked about whether there were inconsistencies between his questionnaire answers and his true policy stances.
He cited the Little Sisters of the Poor case, a 2016 Supreme Court decision that granted a religious exception to the federal mandate requiring employers to provide contraceptive and birth control medications in their health insurance plans.
“I’m making sure that as a governor, I’m gonna stand up for our most vulnerable and protect them in every way that I can…,” he said.
“I think we need to stand up for and protect religious freedom, and so that is my belief and I don’t want them to be in a position where they cannot live out their values and their beliefs.”
Friday, Cameron’s campaign provided an updated statement about the question of birth control.
“It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest I oppose or want to criminalize birth control or contraception,” Cameron said.
“I believe in upholding the fundamental right to religious freedom. No one should be compelled to act against their religious beliefs. That includes taxpayers. Those ideas are mainstream. Meanwhile, Andy Beshear supports taxpayer-funded abortions right up until the moment of birth and vetoed a bill requiring medical care for a baby born alive as a result of a failed abortion.”