Steve Scalise and GOP send message that they are willing to play politics with women’s rights
For Immediate Release: April 2, 2019
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In response to House GOP plans to bring forth a discharge petition to try to force a vote on the House version of Senator Ben Sasse’s extreme bill, NARAL Vice President Adrienne Kimmell issued the following statement:
“This political stunt is an attempt by the House GOP to distract from the outrage following their extreme and unpopular attacks on reproductive freedom– from the latest ban in Georgia that bans abortion before many women even know they’re pregnant, to similar bills in Mississippi to Kentucky to Alabama and many more. Anti-choice politicians like Steve Scalise and Ann Wagner are out-of-step with the vast majority of Americans who believe that a woman, not politicians, should be able to make her own decisions about if, when, and with whom to grow her family. That they would choose to push a bill that is political in nature and has no chance of passing, rather than work to solve the country’s maternal mortality crisis or help reunite children separated from their parents at the border, puts the hypocrisy of the “pro-life” party into acute focus. We need leaders who understand it isn’t their place to play judge and jury for women.”
On background:
Despite pushing for a discharge position this week, in 2018 Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) explicitly opposed a discharge petition circulated by members of his own party, and even condemned the practice of discharge petitions overall:
From Roll Call:
“The Goodlatte-McCaul bill is the only bill introduced in the House that Trump has signaled he’d support.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said he thinks that measure is the right answer to the DACA problem but acknowledged that some members prefer a different approach to protecting Dreamers.
“A discharge petition is not the way to legislate,” the Louisiana Republican said, noting he’s urged members not to sign it.
“I’ve talked to some members about the importance of keeping control of the legislative vehicle and solving the problem on our terms, where we focus on solutions, not politics,” Scalise said.”