Santorum blames 'abortion culture' for problems with Social Security
March 29th, 2011
08:42 PM ET
12 years ago

Santorum blames 'abortion culture' for problems with Social Security

(CNN) - Potential 2012 presidential candidate Rick Santorum said the "abortion culture" in America is to blame for the failing Social Security system.

In an interview with WEZS Radio in Laconia, New Hampshire, Tuesday, the former Republican Pennsylvania senator said abortion rates are influencing the number of children born in the United States and there are therefore not enough children to support the program long-term.

"The Social Security system in my opinion is a flawed design, period. But having said that, the design would work a lot better if we had stable demographic trends," Santorum said. "A third of all the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion."

Santorum, an outspoken opponent of abortion, made the comments in response to a caller who said abortion rates are to blame for the problems with Social Security and Medicare.

"We have seven children so we're doing our part to fund the Social Security system," Santorum said. "I want children to be living in America and contributing. America's greatest resource is our people and we're denying America what it needs, which is more Americans."

Santorum was in New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state Tuesday to meet with voters and headline a GOP dinner in Concord.


Filed under: 2012 • New Hampshire • Rick Santorum
soundoff (330 Responses)
  1. jiri pinkas

    Abortion – are you kidding me. The reason why Social Security is broke is cuz the
    politicians spent the money on pork barrel projects over the past 50 years.

    This guy is a moron and shouldn't get elected for dog catcher...............

    March 30, 2011 07:53 am at 7:53 am |
  2. Doyle Wiley, MI

    Santorum, to sum you up in a word "Stupidity". The Social Security System would work just fine if the government would stop taking money from it when it has a so-called surplus.

    March 30, 2011 07:53 am at 7:53 am |
  3. JRB

    I really hope the statistic quotes that 1/3 of our children are being aborted is a gross over-statement. That would be an American failure of epic proportion regardless of what side of the issue you are on.

    March 30, 2011 07:54 am at 7:54 am |
  4. johnmccain

    He, again, insinuating that "our" children is what he means white American children, The "others" are plenty, but not American enough. The children of immigrants, and it doesn't matter how or whom they were born to, they will grow up and contribute to the society with paying soc sec taxes. Moron.

    March 30, 2011 07:55 am at 7:55 am |
  5. DB

    Republicans just won't get it. We hate the far left because they give away the money, and we hate the far right because they insist on legislating morality. Obama set a social trap for them and they walked right into it, it's fine to exercise your beliefs whatever they may be, it is not fine to try to use the law the force everyone else to live as you think they should. That is called a theocracy, and take a look at Iran to see how it is working out.

    March 30, 2011 07:59 am at 7:59 am |
  6. Suzzy

    Can't believe this guy would blame abortion. The system is flawed and mis-managed, that is why it is going broke. I can't wait to send this article around to my friends. For sure he would not get any of our votes in 2012

    March 30, 2011 07:59 am at 7:59 am |
  7. mommy1

    The cost of living is too high for people to have 6 or 7 children like families of past generations. The people who work, are educated, and responsible are the ones who are paying into Social Security and they are having only 1 – 2 kids, if any. I believe that is more of the reason as to why the population is dwindling. It is not all due to abortions.

    March 30, 2011 08:01 am at 8:01 am |
  8. Joe citizen abroad

    Uh...Rick...if we need more Americans, let's let some more immigrants in. They have to pay into Social Security too. Problem solved.

    March 30, 2011 08:02 am at 8:02 am |
  9. Mike in MO

    As the song goes...You're out of touch; I'm out of time...

    March 30, 2011 08:02 am at 8:02 am |
  10. blaqmajik

    LMFAO.....here we go with the Abortion thing again. Could it be that the advance in contraceptives helps reduce unwanted pregnancies? I mean really who the hell wants seven babies unless you live on a farm.

    March 30, 2011 08:03 am at 8:03 am |
  11. EvilGenous9

    "A third of all the young people in America are not in America today because of abortion." Wow, very flawed argument; he's assuming all these young people will have JOBS and not grow up with a sever disability; how can he predict that?? You want to fix social security? Get people back to work and off welfare!!

    March 30, 2011 08:05 am at 8:05 am |
  12. HJA

    Soc Sec would be fine if the fools in DC would keep their greedy hands off it. Just like some of the companies crying about their pension funds. They cry it's too costly but then you find out they made committments but never allocated the funds for it. Fools...every last one.

    March 30, 2011 08:06 am at 8:06 am |
  13. Rachel Frank

    Typical republican, viewing babies as $$$$. "Sanctity of life?" Give me a break.

    March 30, 2011 08:07 am at 8:07 am |
  14. IceT

    Blame abortion & lower birth rates? What happened to all the money we baby boomers have dumped into the system. Social security was NOT set up to be the ponzi scheme it's been turned into. Put blame where it belongs, on politicians that used social security funds for things "other" than social security.

    March 30, 2011 08:07 am at 8:07 am |
  15. Steve

    This might be the dumbest thing I have ever seen a potential presidential candidate say...EVER. How many kids will your 7 kids have to have to make sure SS is solvent, and how many kids will their kids have to have after that. Sorry, but making sure that each generation grows 3-5 times it's current size to support the next batch of retirees is a rediculous concept. If it makes you feel better Rick, just remember those fetuses that will never retire will never need social security or any other financial aid. I understand the reasons one would be pro-life, but the reasoning here is 9 kinds of stupid!

    March 30, 2011 08:08 am at 8:08 am |
  16. Steve

    What a piece of garbage. Don't tell me how to live my life.

    March 30, 2011 08:08 am at 8:08 am |
  17. RM

    Really? This is a truly warped way of thinking. his religious views are clearly running his politcal views. This makes me an even greater advocate for seperation of church and state. The two just should not mix and unfortunately It always will. History has prove that religious movements and political movements were often "two peas in a pod".

    March 30, 2011 08:09 am at 8:09 am |
  18. Brendan H., San Antonio, TX

    Didn't George W. Bush take his girlfriend at the time, Robin Loman, to Houston for an abortion in 1971? And that was before Roe v Wade!!!

    Any comments Mr. Santorum?! Didn't think so.

    March 30, 2011 08:11 am at 8:11 am |
  19. Tom

    This guy cannot be serious. How about all the money that government would need to support these unwanted births once they entered this place he calls America? These guys need to get out of the dark ages and realize they will never have the power over woman in this country that they desire. Jobs????

    March 30, 2011 08:12 am at 8:12 am |
  20. luffing

    This is so crazy it's difficult to make comment. I wiil, anyway. What a nutjob. And, he has seven (7) children. I conjure images of Victorian America. Big house on Main street. Everyone doting on the patriarch. This guy is living in a movie.

    March 30, 2011 08:13 am at 8:13 am |
  21. chris

    Wow!!! Is he serious?

    March 30, 2011 08:13 am at 8:13 am |
  22. Larry

    If this whack job blames abortion for not enough contributors to Social Security, shouldn/.t he praise it for fewer people to pay out?

    I think we've found the male Michele Bachmann.

    March 30, 2011 08:13 am at 8:13 am |
  23. jimatmadison

    Not that anybody was going to take Santorum seriously anyway, but...

    C'mon! Really?!?

    On the other hand, the abortionists are keeping traffic levels down, right? Yeesh.

    March 30, 2011 08:13 am at 8:13 am |
  24. Moderation is Extinct

    This man is insane.

    March 30, 2011 08:13 am at 8:13 am |
  25. USN Atheist

    "We have seven children so we're doing our part to fund the Social Security system,"
    Ok, you can most likely afford to give these 7 children a "silver spoon in the mouth" upbringing whereas the potential single mother with 7 children cannot and therefore would be a drain on the system as the gov't provides for her and her 7 children. Rick Santorum's quote does not give the big picture, only a small biased side of it. Basically it is a comment to get pro-lifers to his side of the political scale, nothing more.

    March 30, 2011 08:14 am at 8:14 am |
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