"The pro-life position would be that all abortion should be removed from the discussion as an option in these stressful situations," he added. "The sanctity of the life is what should be made very clear to all involved. And then you go forward in doing the best you can with whatever the particulars of the situation are."
The Democratic Party's strong platform on abortion called for the repeal of the Hyde and Helms Amendments' prohibition of taxpayer funding of abortions domestically and in foreign aid. The platform and the strong pro-abortion support of the party's presidential nominee Hillary Clinton turned off some Democratic voters in the recent election, Day said.
"I'm sure that that played a role," she reflected. "I know there are a lot of pro-life Democrats who really struggled, and didn't vote for her [Clinton] because of that."
With Pelosi at the helm for House Democrats, there will soon be debates in the House about abortion – for example, an effort to defund Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider.
Although the Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funding of abortions, pro-life leaders say that funding of Planned Parenthood, like through Medicaid payments, frees up other resources for them to perform abortions.
Democrats should be careful "not to put Planned Parenthood as the line in the sand," Day insisted, but should work to redirect their funding to community health centers that provide "access to care" without doing abortions.
They should also look for common ground with Republicans in health policy, she said, like keeping prenatal care and access to insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.
Matt Hadro was the political editor at Catholic News Agency through October 2021. He previously worked as CNA senior D.C. correspondent and as a press secretary for U.S. Congressman Chris Smith.