Abortion

Eric Hovde on Abortion

Hovde Called For Roe v. Wade To Be Overturned

[VIDEO] Hovde Said “Yes” When Asked If Roe v. Wade Should Be Overturned. “WisEye: Another issue that’s important to some Republicans is abortion. Do you think Roe v. Wade should be overturned?  Eric Hovde: Yes. WisEye: You do? Eric Hovde: Yes.” [WisconsinEye, 3/19/12]

Hovde Was Anti-Abortion

Hovde Was Opposed To Abortion

[AUDIO] Hovde Said “My Faith Has Taught Me The Importance Of Family And Protecting The Unborn” And “Defending Innocent Human Life Is A Basic Responsibility Of Civilized People.” “As a devout Christian, my faith has taught me the importance of family and protecting the unborn. That’s why I’m honored to have the endorsement of Wisconsin Right to Life. I believe that we’re all created in God’s image. Defending innocent human life is a basic responsibility of civilized people. We must also do everything it takes to preserve the family foundation, which has sustained our country for generations. I’m Eric Hovde and I approve this message.” [YouTube, EricForSenate, 7/17/12]

Hovde Said “We Must Defend And Protect All Human Life From Conception To Natural Death.” According to EricForSenate.com, “We must defend and protect all human life from conception to natural death.” [EricForSenate.com via WayBack Machine, 2012]

Hovde: “I Am Pro-Life And I Oppose Legalized Abortion. I Believe Contraception Should Be Legal.” According to the Wisconsin State Journal, “Hovde: I am pro-life and I oppose legalized abortion. I believe contraception should be legal.” [Wisconsin State Journal, 8/5/12]

[AUDIO] Hovde Said “I Am Totally Opposed To Abortion.” “Let me start by saying, you know, when you get into this political arena, you never come to appreciate how low people will stoop. First of all, I am a strong believer in pro-life. I am totally opposed to abortion. Number one. Number two, I stand proud by the fact that I helped with the Myelin project, the National M.S. Society, the Myelin Repair Foundation, and have given money to those causes. As it pertains to this particular situation, I have never once had my money directed towards any embryonic stem cell research, not one dollar.” [Jerry Bader Show, 4/20/12]

Hovde Said He Wanted To Limit Abortion To “Early In Pregnancy” And Claimed He’d Always Supported Exceptions For Rape, Incest, And Life Of The Mother

[AUDIO] Hovde Called For A Voter Referendum On Abortion. “I believe life is precious, but I believe that this contentious issue needs to be resolved by the people of Wisconsin through a referendum. This has been put back by the Supreme Court to the states. And I think the people of Wisconsin need to come to a compassionate, a commonsense solution.” [Mark Belling Show, 2/21/24]

[AUDIO] Hovde Claimed That He’s Always Supported Exceptions For Rape, Incest, And The Life Of The Mother And Said Abortion Should Be Limited To “A Reasonable Time Early In Pregnancy.” “I've always concurred with, you know, the exceptions of rape, rape, incest and life of the mother. I believe there is a reasonable time early in pregnancy for a woman to make a choice. But I find it appalling that Senator Baldwin literally has voted to allow a baby that can be born healthy and alive to be killed up to the point of delivery.” [Mark Belling Show, 2/21/24]

Hovde “I Want To See Less Abortions”

[AUDIO] Hovde Said He Wanted Less Abortions In The US. “Now, how would I vote on that? Well, I believe in the beauty of life. I have two daughters and I have three children. So, you know, I want to see less abortions.” [WisPolitics Luncheon, 8/14/24] 

[AUDIO] Hovde Called For Banning Abortion Between 12-18 Weeks Of Pregnancy. “HOST: What's the what's the week? Is it 20 weeks? Is it 16 weeks? What’s the week? HOVDE: It's not for me to sit here and pick out a week. But I would tell you Western Europe and most of Europe resolved this decades ago. And if you look at most of Western Europe, I think Germany's 12 weeks, France is 14 weeks, the Netherlands 18 weeks. It's somewhere in that first trimester frame for the very beginning of the second trimester.” [WisPolitics Luncheon, 8/14/24]

Hovde Called For Protecting Life “From Conception”

Hovde Called For Protecting “All Human Life, From Conception To Natural Death.” According to the Clarion, “Energy independence is a key part of Hovde's campaign. He is interested in domestic oil production as well as exploring new and developing technologies to try to offset issues like rising gas prices. Hovde takes a serious stance on issues such as abortion. His platform calls for the defense of all human life, from conception to natural death, and he is also interested in upholding traditional family values.” [Clarion, 3/27/12]

Hovde: “We Must Defend And Protect All Human Life From Conception To Natural Death.” According to EricForSenate.com, “We must defend and protect all human life from conception to natural death.” [EricForSenate.com – “Family Values,” 2012]

Hovde Said He Was “100% Pro-Life”

Hovde Claimed He Was “100% Pro-Life.” According to BloggingBlue, “MAN IN AUDIENCE:  All your discussion so far has been about the financial issues.  A radio address that you gave had you describing yourself as 100% pro-life.  Do you see any options available, any variations on that, or is 100% pro-life? HOVDE:  I’m a 100% pro-life. MAN IN AUDIENCE:  Blunt Amendment want employers to indicate their moral ideas about what their employees should be receiving for healthcare, do you agree with the Blunt Amendment? HOVDE:  I don’t know enough about the Blunt Amendment, but let me deal with my 100% pro-life.  I’m a 100% pro-life, I’m a 100%, I’m a Christian.” [BloggingBlue, 7/18/12]

Hovde Supported Early-Term Abortion Bans

Hovde Suggested Banning Abortions During Or After The First Trimester

[AUDIO] Hovde Cited Europe As A Model For Abortion Law. “I don't think this issue will ever be solved until voters aside and work this out themselves. If you look at what's happened in most Western European countries, you have anywhere from 10 to 15 weeks. That's where Germany, France, Italy, you can do an abortion largely in the first trimester. And after that, it's banned. So I've got to say, you know, look, it is up to the people to decide because it will never get resolved until we resolve it as a country and people make that decision and vote on that.” [Republican Women Of Dane County, 9/20/23]

Hovde Said A 10-15 Week Abortion Ban Was “More Than Enough Reasonable Time”

[AUDIO] Hovde Supported Banning Abortion After 10 To 15 Weeks Of Pregnancy. “You know women have a right to choose in almost any Western European country in the first 10 to 15 weeks, I think Germany's at 12. France is at 14. But all countries are pretty much somewhere in that first trimester. But again, once a baby gets to a point of development that it can be born and live outside the womb, it is not allowed. And even before that, in European countries. And that's more than enough reasonable time for a woman to make a choice. So that's where I am.” [The Truth With Lisa Boothe, 3/28/24]

Hovde Supported European-Style Abortion Bans

[AUDIO] Hovde Cited European Abortion Bans As Models For The US To “Resolve” The Issue. “We as a country need to come and decide this. And so it's no longer such a divisive issue. Look, Western Europe has resolved this issue a long time ago. Most Western European countries are between, you know, 10 to 14 weeks, the first trimester. I think Germany said 12. I think France is at 14.” [Brian Kilmeade Show, 4/8/24]

Hovde Predicted That A Wisconsin Abortion Ban Would Land In The First Trimester

[AUDIO] Hovde Guessed That Wisconsin Voters Would Ban Abortion During The First Trimester Of Pregnancy. “HOST: Eric, where right now is Wisconsin on abortion? HOVDE: You know, I haven't seen the latest poll numbers, but the vast majority of Republicans, independents and even Democrats believe that abortion should not go into the second or third trimester or should go up to the point of delivery. So I think where it'll probably end up is at some point in the first trimester would be my best guess. But I haven't seen any of the recent polling numbers on this.” [Brian Kilmeade Show, 4/8/24]

Hovde Was Insensitive To The Reality Of Abortions For Women

Hovde Downplayed The Importance Of Abortion For Wisconsinites

 [VIDEO] Hovde Said A Referendum On Restricting Abortion Would Not Be A Big Vote. “HOST: Is an abortion vote going to be a big deal here?” HOVDE: “I don’t think that’s going to be a big vote.” [Newsmax TV: The Record with Greta Van Susteren, 7/17/24]

Hovde Downplayed The Burden Of Traveling For Abortion

[AUDIO] Hovde Said Crossing State Lines To Access Abortion Was Rare Because Most Were Done With “The Day After Pill.” “HOST: So you're okay with the various states having various laws? And, and if, if a woman needs an abortion and her state doesn’t provide it, that she has to travel for the abortion? HOVDE:  Well, okay, let's be honest on that. The vast majority of abortions today are done through the day after pill. So the reality is most, most abortions are handled and given medications.” [WisPolitics Luncheon, 8/14/24]

Hovde Didn't Know What “The Day After Pill” Was 

Hovde Thought The “Day After Pill” Was An Abortion Drug, Not An Emergency Contraceptive

[AUDIO] Hovde Said Most Abortions Were Done With “The Day After Pill.” “HOST: So you're okay with the various states having various laws? And, and if, if a woman needs an abortion and her state doesn’t provide it, that she has to travel for the abortion? HOVDE:  Well, okay, let's be honest on that. The vast majority of abortions today are done through the day after pill. So the reality is most, most abortions are handled and given medications.” [WisPolitics Luncheon, 8/14/24]

Hovde Said Abortion Pills Would Always Be Available On The Black Market 

[AUDIO] Hovde Compared Abortion Pills To Narcotics And Said They’d Be Available Regardless Of Bans. “HOST: And you’re like, you're okay with, you’re okay with the preservation the use of the drugs? […] HOVDE: Well, look, you're not changing that. We can all talk in theory, let's just talk in reality. You’re, you're not changing that. That pill will be around and just like hard narcotics transferred from state to state or from other countries into our country, medications move all over our country. And that's just reality.” [WisPolitics Luncheon, 8/14/24]

Hovde Falsely Said “The Day After Pill” Was An Abortion Medication

Hovde Falsely Claimed Most Abortions Were Performed With “The Day After Pill,” An Emergency Contraceptive. According to the Heartland Signal, “At a luncheon Wednesday, Wisconsin Republican Senate nominee Eric Hovde falsely claimed that most abortions are conducted using the morning-after pill. Plan B doesn’t cause abortions, as it does not terminate a pregnancy. The vast majority of abortions today are done through the day-after pill,’ Hovde said when asked about states having different laws on the issue and people crossing state borders for reproductive care.” [Heartland Signal, 8/15/24]

Hovde Conflated An Emergency Contraceptive With Medication Abortion. According to the Heartland Signal, “According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an emergency contraceptive like the morning-after pill ‘prevents pregnancy by acting on ovulation, which occurs well before implantation.’ This is vastly different from a medication abortion, more commonly known as the ‘abortion pill,’ which is offered during the first 11 weeks of pregnancy at Planned Parenthood.” [Heartland Signal, 8/15/24] 

Hovde Compared Medication Abortion To A “Hard Narcotic.” According to the Heartland Signal, “The WisPolitics host then asked if the Republican Senate candidate was okay with preserving the use of emergency contraceptives. He responded saying that the country is ‘not changing that’ — expressing this as a similarity to narcotic drugs and drug trafficking. ‘We can all talk in theory, let’s just talk in reality. You’re, you’re not changing that,’ Hovde continued. ‘That pill will be around and just like hard narcotics transferred from state to state or from other countries into our country, medications move all over our country. And that’s just reality.’” [Heartland Signal, 8/15/24] 

Hovde Was Endorsed By Wisconsin Right To Life

Hovde Was Endorsed By Wisconsin Right To Life Because He “Indicated Strong Support For Federal Right-To-Life Issues.” According to Wisconsin Right To Life, “The Wisconsin Right to Life Political Action Committee has endorsed Jeff Fitzgerald, Eric Hovde, Mark Neumann and Tommy Thompson for U.S. Senate in the August 14 primary election which will decide who faces pro-abortion Tammy Baldwin in the November 6 general election. Speaker Fitzgerald has maintained a very strong right-to-life voting record as a member of the State Assembly and was instrumental in ensuring that all of the important right-to-life measures recently enacted into law moved forward in the legislative process. Eric Hovde has indicated strong support for federal right-to-life issues should he be elected.” [Wisconsin Right To Life, 6/21/12]

Hovde Claimed Democrats Supported Taxpayer-Funded Abortions Up To Delivery

Hovde Claimed Democrats Wanted Taxpayer Funded Abortions Up To The Point Of Delivery 

 [AUDIO] Hovde Said Baldwin And Democrats Supported Abortion Until The Moment Of Delivery. “I believe in the beauty of life. I have two daughters. I have three grandchildren. And I also believe in exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. I think there's a reasonable time in a pregnancy for a woman to decide. But where the Democrats and Senator Baldwin are, it's just unconscionable. They will allow a healthy baby that can be born alive to be terminated even up to the point of delivery. And that is, that, that is just so fundamentally wrong. It's immoral, in my view.” [Brian Kilmeade Show, 4/8/24]

[AUDIO] Hovde Said Baldwin And Biden Wanted Taxpayers To “Foot The Bill” For Late Term Abortions. “President Biden or Senator Baldwin, which is basically wanting this federal government to mandate that abortions can happen up to the point of delivery and for taxpayers to, to foot the bill for that. And I think that is fundamentally wrong. And I think there's a reasonable time that people can work out.” [Brian Kilmeade Show, 4/8/24]

[AUDIO] Hovde Said Leftists Wanted Taxpayer Funded Abortions Up To Delivery. “I do think we have to, you know, reconcile this as voters in this country. And again, I just think where the left is today is so out beyond what is reasonable and rational, where a healthy baby that can be born alive can be terminated up to the point of delivery and for taxpayers to fund it is so fundamentally wrong.” [Brian Kilmeade Show, 4/8/24]