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Dem Senate Candidate in Alabama Calls for No Restrictions on Abortion

September 27, 2017

Alabama Democratic Senate candidate Doug Jones said in a Wednesday interview that he is against all restrictions on abortion.

Jones is running for the Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions against former state supreme court chief justice Republican Doug Jones.

MSNBC's Chuck Todd asked Jones about his views on abortion, and what limitations should be in place.

"I am a firm believer that a woman should have the freedom to choose what happens to her own body, and I'm going to stand up for that and I'm going to make sure that that continues to happen," Jones said.

"I want to make sure that as we go forward, people have access to contraception, they have access to the abortion that they might need. If that's what the choose to do," he said.

Todd asked Jones about a 20-week abortion ban, like the one that Republicans announced Tuesday that they will reintroduce in the House. Many European nations ban abortion after 12, 13, or 14 weeks.

"You wouldn't be in favor of legislation that said ban abortion after 20 weeks, or something like that?" Todd asked.

"No, I'm not in favor of anything that is going to infringe on a woman's right and her freedom to choose," Jones said. "That's just the position that I've had for many years, it's the position I continue to have."

Jones quickly rushed to qualify that once a child was born, he supported its right to life, setting himself apart from fringe medical ethicists who have argued for after-birth abortion.

"I want to make sure people understand that once a baby is born, I'm going to be there for that child, that's where I become a right-to-lifer," Jones said.

Jones will face Republican candidate Judge Roy Moore in the December 12 special election to fill the senate seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Moore is a strident critic of abortion.