USA TODAY: “The career congressman has supported federal abortion bans with no exceptions”
Don Bacon has found himself under scrutiny again for continuing to mislead Nebraskans about his extreme anti-abortion record. Just weeks ago, he was caught quietly scrubbing his out-of-touch, dangerous agenda from his website.
Bacon has also tried to distance himself from the Life At Conception Act, a bill he repeatedly co-sponsored that would ban abortion nationwide with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the woman’s life. He’s suddenly claiming he doesn’t support its lack of an “exception for the life of the mother,” but that didn’t stop him from co-sponsoring the bill threetimesbefore.
With IVF fertility treatments under attack across the country, Bacon claims he supports access to IVF. But the truth is that the Life At Conception Act could jeopardize access to the procedure and Bacon refused to sign onto a bill that would *actually* protect the right to IVF.
It’s simple – Don Bacon thinks politicians should decide if, when, and how women start or grow a family.
DCCC Spokesperson Mallory Payne:
“Don Bacon clearly knows his dangerous anti-abortion record is deeply out of touch with his constituents. Nebraskans see through Bacon’s lies and will reject his extreme attacks on reproductive freedom at the ballot box this November.”
[Bacon is] also known as one of the most vulnerable GOP members of Congress up for re-election due in part to the national debate about reproductive rights.
As a four-term incumbent who once embraced the endorsement of pro-life groups, questions have emerged since Bacon’s campaign website seemingly removed the names of the same organizations based on the archived versions of the site, as first reported by Rolling Stone.
As of March, the “A” rating from the pro-life advocacy group Susan B. Anthony List and the 100% rating from the National Right to Life have both disappeared. Additionally, a section pledging to defend the right to life has also been removed: “As your Representative, I will always fight to defend the right to life.”
Democratic analysts are describing Bacon’s sudden withdrawal of previously sought-after endorsements as an attempt to hide his pro-life stance as he competes in a challenging and costly bid for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District which President Joe Biden won by over six points in 2020.
“This was part of a regular campaign website update from the 2022 to 2024 elections,” Zacher said in an email statement. “Don Bacon is proud of his pro-life record in Congress, and upon receiving updated 2024 endorsements from pro-life groups in Nebraska and across the USA, our website will be updated accordingly.”
Since his first term, Bacon has consistently supported pro-life legislation, including the Life at Conception Act in 2021, which aimed to establish a Constitutional right to life for humans at “all stages of life.” He also signed letters of support with other Republican members of Congress, urging the Supreme Court to greaoverturn Roe V. Wade in 2022 and another asking the justices to allow states to ban hospitals from providing emergency abortions.
The career congressman has supported federal abortion bans with no exceptions, but Bacon also endorsed legislation that would block federal funding for healthcare that covers abortions, with exceptions in the cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. He also declined to support the 2023 version of the Life at Conception Act because he said it did not include an explicit exception to protect the life of the mother.
