U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick outlined what he called a “family-friendly agenda” during a campaign appearance Tuesday at the Sheraton Hotel in Falls Township.
Joined by state Rep. Kristin Marcell and Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn, McCormick expressed his opposition to a complete ban on abortion. He added that he supports exceptions for cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is in danger, but opposes late-term abortions.
The candidate’s comments come against a backdrop of criticism from Democrats of Republican candidates who have taken a strict pro-abortion stance supported by members of their party.
The former businessman and politician, who is running against incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey, also proposed a comprehensive plan to support families that includes a $15,000 tax credit for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, greater school choice and limits on social media use by children under 16, or bans it without a strict parental approval process.
The candidate told his supporters in the audience that while he was fundamentally in favor of a smaller state, he was in favor of stronger government control over minors’ access to social media.
McCormick told voters that he supports doubling the child tax credit, keeping the tax credits for paid family and medical leave in the tax code, and wants to create tax-free savings accounts for child care expenses.
The Republican argued that the measures would strengthen American families.
“Most people are for good, strong families,” he said.
Marcell, a mother of two siblings conceived through artificial insemination, echoed McCormick’s support for IVF treatments and expressed concern about children’s access to social media.
McCormick, who missed the Republican nomination in the 2022 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, said he would address inflation and support job training.
In earlier years, Casey described himself as a “pro-life Democrat” and his father, the state’s governor, passed a law restricting abortion in the early 1990s. In recent years, however, he has softened his views on abortion, according to the Associated Press.
Outside the event, a group of Democrats, including Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie and Jim Prokopiak, held a meeting to criticize McCormick’s past comments advocating for the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“The fact that David McCormick calls the overturning of Roe v. Wade a ‘big win’ is precisely why the people of Pennsylvania cannot trust him to be on their side,” Prokopiak said.
Even after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion remains a central issue in the election campaign, and many Republicans support new restrictions on abortion.
Polls this month have shown Casey with a notable lead over McCormick.
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