Sen. Tim Kaine, a practicing Catholic who personally opposes abortion, steered clear of the topic in his remarks Saturday at the pro-choice Women’s March on Washington.
The Virginia Democrat spent most of his speech talking about the government shutdown, which he blamed on President Trump.
“This Trump shutdown is about hurting people and hurting our country,” Mr. Kaine said from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. “That’s what they are doing. Four months into a fiscal year, with all of the levers — White House, House, Senate—they can’t even get a budget done.”
Mr. Kaine, the 2016 Democratic nominee for vice president, voted Friday against the House-passed stopgap spending bill that would have kept the government open.
The measure failed by a 50 to 49 margin, with five Democrats voting for and four Republicans against closing debate on the bill. It would have required 60 votes to clear a filibuster from Senate Democrats.
In his speech, Mr. Kaine talked about women’s representation in government, the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, and the 2016 presidential election.
He said it’s “tragic” that Hillary Clinton lost the race for the White House.
“Hillary Clinton would have been a marvelous president—so much better than the alternative president we have now,” Mr. Kaine said.
Although he opposes outlawing abortion, Mr. Kaine’s lack of enthusiasm for the procedure drew criticism in pro-choice circles during the general election.
As governor of Virginia, Mr. Kaine supported some restrictions on abortion, including an informed consent law requiring women to have ultrasounds before procuring abortions.
Writing at Rewire, a pro-choice website, Jodi Jacobson called Mr. Kaine’s vice presidential nomination “unacceptable.” She said the “very last thing we need is another person in the White House who further stigmatizes abortion.”
The Women’s March is an explicitly pro-choice demonstration that banned pro-life feminists from officially partnering in last year’s march.
The rally drew hundreds of thousands to the nation’s capital last year to protest President Trump’s inauguration. Millions more participated worldwide.
The theme of this year’s anniversary march is “Power to the Polls.”
• Bradford Richardson can be reached at brichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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