Ohio Governor John Kasich has begun campaigning on Long Island ahead of New York’s April 19 primary. The Republican Presidential candidate held a town hall forum at Hofstra University on Monday.
At the forum Kasich was asked by a student about his commitment to being a candidate for women and families when he’s expected to sign a bill into law in Ohio that would cut nearly $1.3 million in funding for Planned Parenthood.
“How can you claim to be a candidate for women and families when you defunded Planned Parenthood in Ohio, your home state?” the student asked.
Kasich responded, “I think the organization has discredited itself. (Applause). We’re not going to reduce funding for women’s health, there’s no way we’re going to do that. We’re going to have other entities like hospitals where people can go and get what they want. I expanded Medicaid.”
Kasich also said that there are 300,000 women in Ohio that receive health care now because of his expansion of Medicaid.
Kasich is a pro-life candidate, but in an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s editorial board, Kasich said he supports exceptions in the case of rape, incest and when the mother's life is endangered.
Kasich is the first Republican candidate to make campaign stops on Long Island. Frontrunner Donald Trump is expected to hold a rally in Bethpage on Wednesday evening.
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