Wisconsin Independent: “Van Orden said he agrees with many of the beliefs of the [House Freedom] Caucus, whose members are considered among the most conservative and far-right House Republicans.”
Derrick Van Orden is doubling down on his extremism, claiming that life begins at conception and bragging that he’s “ideologically aligned” with the House Freedom Caucus, which supports a total nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the woman’s life.
This is hardly surprising after Van Orden has touted that he’s “100% pro-life” and even compared abortion to “genocide.”
DCCC Spokesperson Mallory Payne:
“Derrick Van Orden has never hidden the fact that he wants politicians to make personal health care decisions for women, and he’ll eagerly unite with the extreme House Freedom Caucus to make it happen.”
Wisconsin Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden doubled down on his stance against abortion during an appearance on a conservative radio talk show on May 9, adding that he ideologically aligns with the House Freedom Caucus, one of the most conservative groups in Congress…
In the years since he entered politics, Van Orden has made headlines for outbursts and unsavory behavior. He was at the rally of supporters of former President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, but claims he left before it turned into a riot; he berated a teenage page over a Pride month display at the library in Prairie du Chien, where he lives; he was seen cursing out teenage Senate pages who were taking photographs in the U.S. Capitol rotunda; and in a book he published in 2015, he bragged about exposing the genitals of a male patient in a military hospital without warning to two female junior officers while he was serving as a Navy SEAL. He described the officers as “two cute girls.”
On abortion, Van Orden has teetered on his stance since taking office. While campaigning, he said he was strictly against all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest. But after liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April 2023, swinging the court to the left, Van Orden urged state lawmakers to pass a bill that would allow abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy.
After facing a backlash from Democrats, who accused him of flip-flopping, Van Orden reaffirmed that he was against abortion…
Van Orden said he agrees with many of the beliefs of the [House Freedom] caucus, whose members are considered among the most conservative and far-right House Republicans. Many of them voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral win in 2020, attempted to overturn the Affordable Care Act in 2017, and opposed legislation protecting same-sex marriage in 2022.
“I am ideologically aligned with the Freedom Caucus more than I am not, by a wide margin. What I’m not aligned with is how they’re trying to get to that goal,” Van Orden said.
