2024 RNC Platform Drops Gun Rights, Abortion, Debt Control Language of Past Platforms

Last updated on August 7th, 2024 at 04:27 pm

The 2024 Republican Party platform has dropped numerous passages addressing gun rights, abortion access, and the national debt that have appeared in the party’s past policy frameworks.

On Monday, the Republican National Committee (RNC) announced a new party platform for the first time since 2016. While it’s customary for a party to update its platform each presidential election cycle, the Republicans skipped this measure in 2020 due to limitations from COVID-19 lockdowns.

As far back as 2012, the RNC platform has included support for “the fundamental right to self-defense wherever a lawabiding citizen has a legal right to be” and legislation to “expand the exercise of that right by allowing those with state-issued carry permits to carry firearms in any state that issues such permits to its own residents.” The 2012 platform also condemned “frivolous lawsuits” against the gun industry, attempts to ban certain types of firearms and magazines over a certain capacity, and new licensing and registration laws for firearms purchase and ownership.

While the RNC’s firearm platform grew from 2008 to 2012, the 2008 platform also condemned frivolous lawsuits against the gun industry and new licensing and registration laws.

By contrast, the 2024 Republican platform contains a single reference in its preamble expressing support for the right to keep and bear arms. As part of the 20-point preamble to the 2024 platform is an all-caps commitment when Republicans win the White House and majorities in the House and Senate to “DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR BILL OF RIGHTS, AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, INCLUDING FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF RELIGION, AND THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS.”

The 2024 platform offers no further mention of any party objectives around firearm rights and firearm access. Gone is the party’s 12-year commitment to concealed carry reciprocity or older references of opposition to “frivolous lawsuits” and laws to license the right to keep firearms.

The 2024 version of the Republican platform also takes a less restrictive view of abortion than in the past. Previous versions of the party platform had seen Republicans oppose the use of public funds for abortion providers, various abortion methods and sex-selective abortion. Republicans had also signaled support for prosecuting medical professionals who deny care to infants who survive abortion attempts. Past platforms had also included a statement of support for appointing judges “who respect traditional family values and the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life.”

The current Republican platform now includes a paragraph section titled “Republicans Will Protect and Defend a Vote of the People, from within the States, on the Issue of Life.” The section heading suggests a focus on shifting abortion policy to the state level going forward. The section goes on to note states now have the expanded legal ability to decide their abortion policy following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, wherein the court held that states have the authority to decide matters on abortion not already covered by federal law. In terms of a federal framework on abortion, the 2024 Republican platform states the party will “oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments).”

Coming in at 16 pages, notably shorter than in past instances, the 2024 RNC platform altogether drops past references of opposition to same-sex marriage. Where the 2016 offering included sections dedicated to reducing the national debt and setting a balanced budget, the new platform provides no references at all to the national debt, now approaching $35 trillion.