Nick Begich Touted Endorsements From Anti-Abortion Extremists Jim Johnson, Scott Perry, And Byron Donalds, Who Cosponsored A Life At Conception Bill That Had No Exceptions For Rape Or Incest And Deliberately Excluded Protections For IVF And Birth Control

The House Freedom Caucus Endorsed Begich. “The Freedom Caucus, the conservative group inside the Republican House Majority, came out with a stunning endorsement for Alaska’s only seat in Congress: Nick Begich III. The caucus’ Freedom Fund made the announcement of its support of Begich as one of nine candidates around the country that it is endorsing in the 2024 election.” [Must Read Alaska, 5/8/24]

Begich Claimed He Was “Honored” To Have The Support Of The House Freedom Fund And Would Work To Restore ‘Bold’ Republican Representation In Alaska. “Constitutional principles are the bedrock of our republic and are worth fighting for. I’m honored to have the support of HFF and to be among that group of conservative leaders who will work to ensure the American promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness endures for generations to come. I look forward to continuing to work hard to restore Alaska’s tradition of bold representation and to grow the Republican majority in the House.” [Must Read Alaska, 5/8/24]

Begich Gave A Non-Answer When Asked If He Would Join The House Freedom Caucus. “So, since they’ve endorsed Begich, does this suggest that if he’s elected he’d align with the House Freedom Caucus? […] Begich: Well, I think it really depends on the specific situation. But certainly there are times where it’s necessary for folks to take a principled stand. And there are other times when compromise is part of the process.” [Alaska Public, 5/10/24]

Jim Jordan Endorsed Begich, Claiming That Begich Would Be An “America First Champion”. “Nick Begich is a proven conservative, a successful businessman, and a passionate advocate for Alaska’s future. In Congress, Nick will be an America First champion. This race is critical to keeping the House and growing the Republican Majority. Now, more than ever, we need principled conservatives in Congress to take on the radical left’s dangerous ideas” [Twitter, @NickForAlaska, 8/29/24]

Image: see original report, p. 83

[Twitter, @NickForAlaska, 8/29/24]

Begich Touted An Endorsement From Scott Perry, Claiming He Was “Proud To Announce The Support Of One Of Congress’s Strongest Conservatives.” “I’m proud to announce the support of one of Congress’ strongest conservatives, Congressman Scott Perry (R-PA)! Here’s what Congressman Perry had to say about our House race:‘I know Nick Begich and I knew Don Young. Nick is tough; he’s a fighter; and he can be trusted to stand against the DC establishment. We must restore our individual freedoms, reign in government spending, and stop the sprawling bureaucracy trying to control our lives. I’m asking Alaska to send Nick Begich to DC so he can help us get this done and fight for your state like Don Young always did.’ [Twitter, @NickForAlaska, 3/18/24]

Image: see original report, p. 84

[Twitter, @NickForAlaska, 3/18/24]

Begich Gave A “Special Thank You” To House Freedom Caucus Member Byron Donalds For His Work In Congress. “True honor to hear Pres. Trump at Mar-a-Lago and to be among so many America First leaders this weekend. A special thank you to @ByronDonalds for his leadership in Congress, and for keeping a zealously left media in check with our secret weapon: TRUTH.” [Twitter, @NickForAlaska, 5/5/24]

Image: see original report, p. 84

[Twitter, @NickForAlaska, 5/5/24]

Jordan, Perry, And Donalds Cosponsored The Life At Conception Bill Of 2021, Which Had No Exceptions For Rape Or Incest And Deliberately Excluded Protections For IVF And Birth Control

2021: Jordan, Perry, And Donalds Cosponsored H.R. 1011, The Life At Conception Act. According to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Jordan and Perry Cosponsored the Life at Conception Act, which stated “This bill declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual comes into being.” [Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 1011, 2/11/21]

The Life At Conception Act Was A National Abortion Ban That Made No Exceptions For Rape Or Incest. “The Life at Conception Act would ban abortion from conception with zero exceptions for rape or incest. This would include banning the abortion pill, a medication that was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 2000 and is currently used in approximately 60% of abortions nationwide.” [Third Way, 6/24/24]

The Life At Conception Act Threatened IVF. “The Life at Conception Act would have established that life begins at fertilization. Like the Alabama ruling, the act would have severely restricted—if not effectively banned—IVF treatments, because it grants”equal protection” to “preborn” humans, including embryos. Since it’s common for fertilized eggs not to survive the IVF process, the act would put doctors at risk of being charged for wrongful death of embryos. That risk would be enough to scupper the IVF industry.” [The New Republic, 3/21/24]

The 2017 Version Of The Life At Conception Act Made Exceptions For IVF; Subsequent Versions Of The Bill Excluded It. “In the [118th] Congress, a Life at Conception Act has 125 Republican sponsors in the House. Its stated goal is”To implement equal protection for the right to life of each born and preborn human person[…]There’s no wiggle room there, folks. No exceptions for rape, incest, health of the mother — or IVF. But now they’re protesting that they didn’t mean to endanger IVF, even though a 2017 version of the same bill did include an IVF exception that was omitted in the current bill. [Seattle Times, 3/1/24]

The Life At Conception Act Of 2021 Copied The 2017 Version Word For Word But Excluded Protections For Birth Control And IVF. The Life At Conception Act of 2017 as introduced on January 24, 2017: “To implement equal protection for the right to life of each born and preborn human person, and pursuant to the duty and authority of Congress, including Congress’ power under section 8 of article I of the Constitution of the United States to make necessary and proper laws, and Congress’s power under section 5 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, the Congress hereby declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child, a prohibition on in vitro fertilization, or a prohibition on use of birth control or another means of preventing fertilization.” The Life At Conception Act as introduced on February 11, 2021: “To implement equal protection for the right to life of each born and preborn human person, and pursuant to the duty and authority of the Congress, including Congress’ power under article I, section 8, to make necessary and proper laws, and Congress’s power under section 5 of the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Congress hereby declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being. However, nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child.” [Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, HR 1011, 2/11/21; S. 231, 1/24/17]

Donalds, Perry, And Jordan Voted Against The Women’s Health Protection Act. According to records with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Donalds, Perry, and Jordan all voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act, which had the following bill summary: This bill prohibits governmental restrictions on the provision of, and access to, abortion services. Specifically, governments may not limit a provider’s ability to: prescribe certain drugs, offer abortion services via telemedicine, or immediately provide abortion services when the provider determines a delay risks the patient’s health. Furthermore, governments may not require a provider to: perform unnecessary medical procedures, or provide medically inaccurate information.” [Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 8296, 7/7/22; Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Roll Call No. 360, 7/15/22]

Jordan Sponsored The Ultrasound Informed Consent Act, Which Would Require Health Providers To Give Women An Ultrasound Before Providing Abortion Services. According to the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Jim Jordan sponsored the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act, which had the following bill summary: “Amends the Public Health Service Act to require abortion providers, before a woman gives informed consent to any part of an abortion, to perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman, provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting, display the ultrasound images so the woman may view them, and provide a complete medical description of the images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, cardiac activity if present and visible, and the presence of external members and internal organs if present and viewable. Prohibits construing this Act to require a woman to view the images or penalizing the provider or the woman if she declines to look at the images. Exempts an abortion provider if the abortion is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself. Requires the provider to include in the woman’s medical file a truthful and accurate certification of the specific medical circumstances that support such determination. Authorizes the Attorney General to commence a civil action in federal court against any abortion provider who knowingly violates this Act. Prescribes penalties. Directs the Attorney General to notify the appropriate state medical licensing authority of penalties assessed. Authorizes a woman upon whom an abortion has been performed in violation of this Act to commence a civil action against the provider for actual and punitive damages.” [Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 3805, 1/23/12]

  • Ultrasound Informed Consent Acts Only Allow Women To Cover Their Eyes Or Close Their Ears During A Narration Of Their Ultrasound- They Cannot Opt Out. “The Kentucky statute compels any doctor performing an abortion to first do an ultrasound on the patient and describe aloud the physical features of the fetus on the screen. The doctor must also play the sound of the fetal heartbeat. Patients cannot opt out of hearing the doctor’s narration or the heartbeat. They cannot ask that the screen be turned away from them. The only way a patient has to avoid the ultrasound images or narration is to cover her ears and close her eyes while the physician speaks. [Los Angeles Times, 12/11/19]

Jordan And Donalds Used Extreme Rhetoric Regarding Abortion, Including Accusing A 10-Year-Old Rape Victim Of Lying, And Calling Reproductive Care “Sick” And “Perverse”

Jim Jordan Accused 10-Year-Old Rape Victim Of Lying After Her Story Became A Flash Point In The Abortion Debate. “Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) refused to apologize for his since-deleted tweet describing the story of a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim as a”lie,” claiming on Thursday that he was merely “responding to a headline” and took down the post once the alleged rapist was charged. The story of the unidentified child’s rape and abortion had quickly become a flashpoint in the debate over abortion rights after the Indianapolis Star reported on her plight on July 1. The patient was six weeks and three days pregnant, right after Ohio’s trigger law outlawed abortion after six weeks following Roe v. Wade’s reversal.” [Daily Beast, 7/14/22]

EMILY’s List Placed Donalds On Its “On Notice” List Of 14 Abortion Extremists. “Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, announced its 2024 ‘On Notice’ list, highlighting 14 extremist Republicans on Donald Trump’s shortlist for potential 2024 running mates […] including Byron Donalds” [Emily’s List, 3/23/24]

Donalds Claimed Reproductive Healthcare Was “Sick, Preverse, And Erodes Our Nation’s Moral Compass.” “Today’s Democratic Party is the party of abortion on demand and without limits, including the unconscionable practice of infanticide. This ideology is sick, perverse, and erodes our nation’s moral compass. The Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 is an affront to our system of Checks and Balances and blatantly ignores the Court’s ruling which allows states––not Congress––to enact abortion-related policy. This bill will also impose the radical pro-abortion policies of California and New York on states like Florida, Texas, and North Carolina, where extreme abortion extensions aren’t supported.” [Congressman Byron Donalds, 7/15/22]

Source report (PDF)