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New reporting for NOTUS highlights how vulnerable Republicans who co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, a national abortion ban with no exceptions, are now lying to voters about the bill.
Republicans like Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Don Bacon are denying that the bill would ban abortion when pressed on debate stages. Yvette Herrell is calling the nationwide ban a “messaging bill” and Scott Perry refuses to reconcile the discrepancy between saying he supports exceptions but co-sponsoring a ban with no exceptions.
Vulnerable Republicans are desperate to hide the truth about the abortion ban they’ve proudly endorsed. However the bill’s own latest lead sponsor, Alex Mooney, confirms that it is a nationwide ban.
DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
“Anti-abortion Republicans will say and do anything to run away from their extreme, archaic agenda to ban abortion nationwide – but their records are clear, and with 8 days until Election Day, voters won’t fall for their pathetic lies.”
NOTUS: Vulnerable Republicans Swear a Bill Granting Embryos Personhood Rights Isn’t an Abortion Ban
Oriana Gonzalez | October 28, 2024
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At least nine Republicans in competitive House races have co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act at one point in their congressional careers. The bill would grant rights under the 14th Amendment from “the moment of fertilization” and has no exceptions, but it does say that a woman cannot be prosecuted “for the death of her unborn child.”
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At a recent debate for Iowa’s 1st District, Christina Bohannan, the Democratic candidate, went after Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks for backing the bill, saying that it “bans all abortions across the country with no exceptions at all.” Miller-Meeks, in response, said that was “untrue” because “the Life at Conception Act as I understand, if I recall correctly, didn’t mention abortion.”
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In Nebraska’s 2nd District, GOP Rep. Don Bacon’s most recent position is that he supports the state’s 12-week abortion ban. But his challenger, Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas, said during a debate that Bacon was “hiding his position” after co-sponsoring the Life at Conception Act three different times.
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If the Life at Conception Act is not a total federal abortion ban, that may be a surprise to the bill’s latest lead sponsor, Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia, who argues it is.
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“The Life at Conception Act would require protection for the preborn under the 14th Amendment,” Mooney said in a press release when he reintroduced the bill this past January. “As a result, preborn babies would be entitled to legal protection under the Constitution as enforced by the states. This legislation would also set a standard for promoting and encouraging a culture of life.”
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Former GOP Rep. Yvette Herrell, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez in New Mexico, also cosponsored the Life at Conception Act, but said in a recent ad that she “will not support a national abortion ban.” When asked by the Santa Fe New Mexican about the discrepancy, her campaign said the personhood bill was a “messaging bill that acknowledges that babies have the constitutional right to life before they are born.”
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He [Scott Perry] told NOTUS in an emailed statement that he “respect[s] the sanctity of all human life, while supporting exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother,” although he did not elaborate on the Life at Conception Act’s lack of exceptions.
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Abortion has increasingly become politically tricky for Republicans in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision. Reps. David Schweikert, David Valadao and Mike Garcia were all previously co-sponsors of the bill but were not during the 118th Congress. (Former Rep. Mayra Flores was also previously a co-sponsor and running again this year).
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