Senate Republicans Force Abortion Ban Into State Budget
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 271-3207
CONCORD – Today, Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee approved a last-minute amendment from Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem), Senator Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry), and Senator Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) which adds the language from HB 625, banning abortion at or after 24 weeks, in the state budget. HB 625 was adopted just yesterday by Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans despite resounding opposition from the medical community, family planning advocates, health care providers, and constituents. Notably, this was done less than 24 hours after the Committee vote, before the issue could be taken up by the full Senate, and does not include exceptions for victims of rape or incest—making this one of the more draconian political attacks on women in the country, pushed through by extremist Republicans.
After the vote, Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) and Deputy Senate Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua) issued the following statements:
“Inserting the dangerous, cruel, language of HB 625 into the state budget is appalling and entirely inappropriate,” stated Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester). “This kind of partisan policy-making has no place in our state budget. This is nothing more than a political stunt to advance an extreme agenda intent on limiting women’s rights of autonomy over their own bodies. This is one more step in a crusade to eliminate the rights of women and families across the state.”
Deputy Senate Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua) added, “I am shocked and disgusted that the language of HB 625 was inserted into the state budget. This blatant attack on the rights of Granite State women and families to access safe, legal reproductive health care will do nothing but put our most vulnerable citizens at extreme risk. This move by Senate Republicans further makes clear the fact that the Republican party has turned their backs on New Hampshire citizens in order to appease far-right extremists with an anti-women, anti-family agenda.”
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