Pennsylvania Republican senate candidate Mehmet Oz said during his debate with Democrat John Fetterman on Tuesday that abortion should be decided between a woman, doctors and “local political leaders.”
Asked whether he supports abortion aside from cases of rape, incest or a life-threatening situation to the mother, Oz said that it should be up to states to decide.
“As a physician, I’ve been in the room when there’s some difficult conversations happening. I don’t want the federal government involved with that at all,” he said. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves.”
Fetterman’s campaign released a statement slamming Oz for his comments.
“Our campaign will be putting money behind making sure as many women as possible hear Dr. Oz’s radical belief that ‘local political leaders’ should have as much say over a woman’s abortion decisions as women themselves and their doctors,” Joe Calvello, Fetterman’s campaign spokesman said. “After months of trying to hide his extreme abortion position, Oz let it slip on the debate stage on Tuesday. Oz belongs nowhere near the U.S. Senate, and suburban voters across Pennsylvania will see just how out-of-touch Oz is on this issue.”
