Gillibrand pushes back on anti-abortion Democratic candidates

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) appeared to push back on the possibility of anti-abortion Democrats Wednesday, saying her party does not have to “make compromises on protecting women’s health” in order to win back a majority in the House or Senate. 

“We do not have to make compromises on protecting women’s health to win back the House or Senate,” she tweeted. 

We do not have to make compromises on protecting women’s health to win back the House or Senate.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) August 2, 2017

{mosads}The senator’s comments come as Democrats aim to win back seats in Congress in the 2018 midterm elections while debating key issues in the party platform. 

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) caused a controversy among Democrats when he told The Hill recently that the party would not withhold funding from candidates who oppose abortion rights, and there would be no litmus test based on abortion stance for Democratic candidates.

Other Democratic leaders including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) have also argued against litmus tests, hoping to include anti-abortion candidates in the party coalition.