Reagan Derides Poverty Aid, Abortions

President Reagan, previewing his post-presidential role as dinner-speaker and advocate for conservative causes, on Friday derided federal poverty programs and advocated a reversal of the Supreme Court decision allowing abortions.

Reagan, who presided over cuts in social programs benefiting the poor during his eight-year tenure, told guests at a white-tie dinner sponsored by the Knights of Malta that “too many (poor people) became dependent on government payments and lost the moral strength that has always given the poor the determination to climb America’s ladder of opportunity.”

On abortion, Reagan predicted that “a new debate will rise in the statehouses of our land” over whether to dismantle the 1973 high court decision.

Issues Highlighted

Reagan’s comments on poverty and abortion reflect his long-held views but represent his strongest statements on those issues in some time. His comments come amid a spate of attention to race and poverty issues--including the Monday birthday celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.--and shortly after the Supreme Court has agreed to take up the abortion issue again.

The President often has said that, when his tenure ends next Friday and he returns to California, he will launch a new career on the “mashed potato circuit.” He will speak out in this new role on these issues and others, including his advocacy of a presidential line-item budget veto and a balanced-budget amendment.

“In just seven days I will lay down the mantle of this great office the American people have bestowed upon me,” Reagan told the dinner guests. “I won’t leave the battle. As long as there is breath in me, I will fight for the principles in which I believe.”

While his future speeches will deal with diverse issues, Reagan Friday focused on abortion and poverty as he addressed the Knights of Malta, a Roman Catholic group that works to help the sick and the poor around the world.

Sees Poverty as Victor

“Twenty years ago, the government declared a war on poverty,” Reagan said. “Poverty won.” He asserted that “too many poor people were sucked into a system that declared that the only sin is not to have enough money.”

Reagan said a lesson to be learned “is that no war on poverty stands a chance unless it rises above the secular state and is guided by the power of love that moves through God’s word.”

The President, a staunch anti-abortionist, said that “protecting the unborn” represents a form of serving the powerless. “Our critics call themselves pro-choice, but have they ever stopped to think that the unborn never have a choice?” he asked.

The abortion issue remained contentious throughout Reagan’s eight years in Washington as he and his conservative colleagues sought to reverse the 1973 Supreme Court decision, known as Roe vs. Wade. Unable to accomplish this, Reagan leaves with a vow to continue the struggle.

Asserting that the “voice of life” will be heard in the debate over the abortion law, Reagan said: “The Knights can be a part of that voice. Can I count on you?” He received enthusiastic nods and affirmative answers in response.

On Monday, the Supreme Court announced that it will consider to what extent states may restrict a woman’s access to abortion, reviewing a federal appellate ruling that last year struck down as unconstitutional a Missouri law banning any use of public facilities or employees for “performing or assisting” in abortions.

The case is scheduled to be decided by July. In it the justices will consider a range of abortion issues, including the assertion that life begins at conception.

What Roe vs. Wade Held

In Roe vs. Wade, the high court struck down on a 7-2 vote all state laws making abortion a crime and declared that the Constitution gives women a right to end pregnancies in their first three months.

At the dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria, the Knights of Malta awarded Reagan its highest honor, the Collar of the Order of Merit, “for his vigorous defense of the pro-life cause and his strong support of traditional Christian family values.” Officials said that the award represented the first time in the group’s 900-year history that it had decorated a U.S. President.

In his speech, Reagan made “two special requests” of the group, urging that it join the “great debate ahead” on abortion and asking “that you help America find a way out of the trap of the welfare state.”