Democrats don’t understand the meaning of pro-family policy

As Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) campaigns with former President Donald Trump and faces public scrutiny, his remarks about family policy seem to capture most of the attention. Of course, the media skew Vance’s comments for their own purposes. His “childless cat ladies” bit is by now well known and has been explained by Vance. That does not alter how Vance’s opponents continue to use the phrase outside of its proper application. This stems from media bias, of course, but also from Democrats’ complete failure to understand what a true pro-family policy looks like. In an interview with CNN this past weekend, Vance spoke of Trump’s state-focused approach to abortion policy. Interviewer Dana Bash retorted with a question: If a woman would like to obtain an abortion to avoid a birth that will ruin her chances for future children, “why is not allowing her to end that pregnancy helpful or supportive of expanding families like you want it to be?” Contained within her question is a deep misunderstanding of what family-supportive policy seeks to achieve. A ban on abortion does not have the ultimate goal of boosting fertility rates. Population growth is certainly a plus, even a reason for supporting abortion bans, but it does not guide the ethical framework of opposing abortion. The pro-life, pro-family position has to do with life itself. The point is that human life is a good, one compelling enough that future possibilities do not warrant a betrayal of it. Bash’s framing promotes a family policy focused on the potential of human life, not life itself. It is based on parental desire rather than on the good of the child and is a numbers game: The family could grow to a delightful x number of children were it not stuck with this first one. On the contrary, the pro-life position is not about a shallow conception of opportunity but the preservation of existing life. The Democratic ideal is centered on future opportunities, and it sees injustice in any denial of choice. It is not an innocent mistake to look at the issue of abortion from this vantage point but rather a conscious choice to weigh the value of life against personal autonomy. Likewise, it is not accidental that the media distort Vance’s comments. They misquote, misrepresent, and avoid the truth. Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign promotes these lies partly because her team knows Vance is correct that the Democratic Party is anti-family and partly because Harris is genuinely far-left. Because Harris has not advanced her own policy platform, she has nothing to offer in response.