Abortion
Abortion, Generally
Sheehy Called Abortion “Sinful” And “Terrible” And Said It Was “A Repulsive Thing To Do”
[AUDIO] Sheehy Said Abortion Was “A Terrible, Terrible Thing” That He Thought Was “Sinful” And “A Repulsive Thing To Do.” “I find abortion to be a terrible, terrible thing. I want it all to end tomorrow. You know, if California says, you know, we're going to fund abortions with California taxpayer dollars all day long. I think it's terrible and disgusting. But, you know, if that's what the California voters want to do with their state. OK? You know, I think it's sinful. I think it's terrible. I think it's a repulsive thing to do. But, you know, that's what California decided to do” [Tim Sheehy Flathead County Republican Women Open House, 12/18/23]
Sheehy Was “Troubled” By The Montana Supreme Court’s Decision Affirming That Minors Do Not Require Parental Permission To Receive An Abortion
Sheehy Was “Troubled By This Decision That Weakens Parental Rights” And Claimed It “Puts Young Girls At Risk”. According to NonStop Local, “Following a Montana Supreme Court decision on Wednesday which ruled that minors do not require parental permission to receive an abortion, some Montana politicians are releasing official statements to the public. [...] A spokesperson for Tim Sheehy's campaign for Senator provided this statement: ‘As the father of four young children, including two young daughters, Tim is troubled by this decision that weakens parental rights and puts young girls at risk.’” [NonStop Local, 8/14/24]
Sheehy Thought The Decision “Should Concern Every Montanan” And Affirmed His Support For Parental Consent. According to NonStop Local, “‘This move by the Montana Supreme Court should concern every Montanan—parents absolutely should be a part of their child’s health care.’” [NonStop Local, 8/14/24]
Sheehy Opposed Abortion Access And Fear Mongered With Baseless Claims Of “Abortions Up To And Including The Moment Of Birth”
Sheehy Lied To Voters About Abortion Access And Reproductive Care
Sheehy Castigated Senator Tester For His “Extreme” Stance On Abortion And Claimed That He Supported “Aborting A Healthy, Full-Term Baby The Day Before It’s Due.” According to KFF Health News, “Tim Sheehy, the Republican candidate seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana and give U.S. Senate control to the GOP, is campaigning on what he calls Tester’s and Democrats’ ‘extreme’ position on abortion. [...] Sheehy has made this accusation on his campaign website, which says, ‘Jon Tester supports elective abortion on demand up until the moment of birth. Think about that again: Jon Tester supports aborting a healthy, full-term baby the day before it’s due. That is the extreme position here.’ Similar statements have been made in the campaign’s social media posts.” [KFF Health News, 7/9/24]
- Sheehy’s Campaign Claimed The Accusation Was Based On “Tester’s Vote For The Women’s Health Protection Act” And His Opposition To “Born-Alive” Legislation. According to KFF Health News, “Asked for evidence to support Sheehy’s accusations, Sheehy’s campaign spokesperson, Katie Martin, said the Republican candidate was referring to Tester’s vote for the Women’s Health Protection Act, which failed to pass the Senate in 2022. She cited the bill’s provisions that said health providers and patients would have the right to perform and receive abortion services without certain limitations or requirements impeding access. [...] Besides the Women’s Health Protection Act, the Sheehy campaign cited Tester’s opposition to ‘born-alive’ legislation meant to protect babies who survive botched abortions. ‘At what week does he think it’s inappropriate for medical providers to perform an abortion?’ Martin said of Tester. ‘That would clear up his stance on the issue. Based on his voting record, it suggests he does, in fact, support abortion on demand up until the moment of birth.’” [KFF Health News, 7/9/24]
Sheehy’s Statements Were Misrepresentations Of The Laws They Referenced And His Messaging Invoked “Political Rather Than Medical Phrasing.” According to KFF Health News, “Sheehy’s description of Tester’s ‘extreme’ position that would allow abortion ‘up until the moment of birth’ simply doesn’t hold up. These statements are rooted in Tester’s support for the Women’s Health Protection Act. That bill, however, doesn’t open the door to abortion on demand later in pregnancy. Instead, it allows for the role of medical judgment. In addition, CDC data indicates that late-term pregnancies are rare. Also, the term ‘elective abortion’ is a political rather than medical phrasing. We rate this claim False.” [KFF Health News, 7/9/24]
Sheehy Wanted To Restrict Abortion Access And Compared The Alleged “Abortions Up To And Including The Moment Of Birth” To Chinese And North Korean “Population Control”
Sheehy Opposed Abortion Access And Fear Mongered With Tales Of “Healthy 9-Month-Old Babies Killed At The Moment Of Birth.” According to the Independent Record, “Sheehy said he opposed abortion though he would support exceptions in the case of rape, incest or if the life of the mother is at risk, a threshold that’s proven hard to specify in states where abortion is otherwise outlawed. ‘The vast majority of Montanans and Americans do not want abortion paid for by the taxpayers, up to and including the moment of birth, elective abortions up to and including the moment of birth. Healthy, 9-month-old babies killed at the moment of birth,’ Sheehy said.” [Independent Record, 6/9/24]
[VIDEO] Sheehy Claimed The Women’s Health Care Act Was “Elective Abortions Paid For By The Taxpayer Up To And Including The Moment Of Birth” And Compared That Fabrication To “What China, North Korea, Do For Population Control.” “Healthy nine month old baby killed at the moment of birth. That's what Jon Tester, the Democrats have voted for. That's what they put on the table time and again. And the Women's Health Care Act is elective abortions paid for by the taxpayer up to and including the moment of birth. That's barbaric. That's what China, North Korea, do for population control.” [Montana Broadcast Association Debate, 6/9/24]
- Sheehy’s Fear Mongering Was A Common, Easily Disprovable, Anti-Abortion Talking Point. According to the Independent Record, “Claims of abortions at the moment of birth are common talking points among Republicans opposed to access. Abortions after 21 weeks gestational age are only 1% of those done in the U.S., and ‘claims of abortions occurring ‘moments before birth’ or even ‘after birth’ are false. These scenarios do not occur, nor are they legal in the United States,’ according to KFF. Abortions done later in pregnancies are often because of medical issues such as fetal anomalies or the mother being at risk of death.” [Independent Record, 6/9/24]
Sheehy Accused Senator Tester Of Supporting “Elective Abortion Up Until The Moment Of Birth”
Sheehy Doubled Down On His Claim Of Abortions “Up Until The Moment Of Birth.” Tim Sheehy tweeted, “This is the EXTREME position: @JonTester supports elective abortion up until the moment of birth…. Yes, up until the moment of birth. That’s not common sense at all!” [Twitter, @SheehyForMT, 6/9/24]
Sheehy Supported A Federal Abortion Ban “For When A Baby Can Feel Pain”
Sheehy Called For “Common-Sense Protections For The Baby’s Life As Well.” According to the Independent Record, “Sheehy continued: ‘At some point, when the baby is viable, when it can feel pain, when it can come out of the womb and be a healthy child to grow and become our next generation, that baby has rights too, and we have to have common-sense protections for the baby's life as well.’” [Independent Record, 6/9/24]
- [VIDEO] Sheehy Emphasized That The “Baby Has Rights Too.” “I'll always protect the three rights for women: rape, incest, life of the mother. At some point, the life of the baby does matter. At some point, when the baby's viable, when it can feel pain, when it can come out of the womb and be a healthy child to grow and become our next generation. That baby has rights, too, and we have to have common sense protections for the baby's life as well.” [Montana Broadcast Association Debate, 6/9/24]
Sheehy Was “Proudly Pro-Life” And Supported A Nationwide Abortion Ban “For When A Baby Can Feel Pain” But Wanted “Further Limits” “Left To Each State.” According to Montana Public Radio, “Yes or no, do you support a federal ban on abortion? ‘I am proudly pro-life and support commonsense protections for when a baby can feel pain, as well as exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and I believe any further limits must be left to each state. Like most Montanans, I believe that allowing an elective abortion up until the moment of birth – let me say that again, up until the moment of birth – is an extreme position.’ [EDITOR'S NOTE: Most Montanans believe abortion should be legal in most cases. There is no recent polling showing support or opposition on the timeframe abortions should be allowed.]” [Montana Public Radio, 5/15/24]
Sheehy Said He Was A “Very Pro-Life Person”
Sheehy Touted His Philanthropic Work As Evidence Of His Strong Belief “In Helping Bring More Life Into This World.” According to Montana Public Radio, “‘I strongly believe in helping bring more life into this world, including through our philanthropy benefitting Montana health care, which helped bring the upgraded neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the Gallatin Valley to provide critical care to at-risk infants as well as helping Billings Clinic establish Montana’s first Level I Trauma Center.’” [Montana Public Radio, 5/15/24]
[AUDIO] Sheehy Described Himself As “A Very Pro-Life Person.” “And seeing that life get made in front of me has made me, you know, a very pro-life person, you know. So it's frustrating to see see that trend in our country. And hopefully, hopefully more Americans will will treasure life the way it should be treasured now.” [Talks with Aaron Flint, 4/19/23]
Sheehy Said “I Am Proudly Pro-Life.” According to Tim Sheehy for Montana, “As the father of four children, I am proudly Pro-Life. My wife, Carmen, and I couldn’t imagine life without our children. I believe the most precious gift from God is life and that we have a responsibility to protect and defend the most vulnerable in our society from our children to our seniors. We have also helped bring the upgraded neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the Gallatin Valley, showing our commitment to providing critical care to at-risk infants.” [Tim Sheehy for Montana, accessed 11/1/23]
Sheehy Criticized Tester For Being “Pro-Abortion.” According to Havre Daily News, “He said his opponents can’t fight him on the issues because they know they will lose, so they resort to personal attacks, which he said he would not. However, he did express many criticism of his incumbent opponent's record, saying Tester supports an overly permissive southern border, was ‘anti-energy,’ ‘anti-Keystone XL Pipeline,’ ‘pro-inflation," and ‘pro-abortion,’ as well as too close progressive Democrats in general.” [Havre Daily News, 11/8/23]
Sheehy Claimed That Abortion Was “Murdering Unborn Children”
[AUDIO] Discussing Reproductive Health Access, Sheehy Claimed That It Was “Really Frustrating,” That One Party In The Country “Seems To Be Bent On, You Know, Murdering Our Unborn Children.” “Yeah, unfortunately, I'm not super familiar with exactly about that particular case, so I'd have to learn a little bit more about to give a definitive answer. But, you know, I can tell you off the bat, it's really frustrating how, you know, we have one party in this country that seems to be bent on, you know, murdering our unborn children and taking that tact, you know, in a very militant way.” [Talks with Aaron Flint, 4/19/23]
Sheehy Raised Money Off Tommy Tuberville’s Military Promotions Blockade Due To Abortion
Sheehy Used Tommy Tuberville’s Blockade Of Military Promotions Due To Abortion To Raise Money For His Campaign. According to Heartland Signal, “Similarly, other Senate hopefuls like Montana candidate Tim Sheehy and Nevada candidate Sam Brown have been using Tuberville’s antics to raise money for their campaigns. According to a report from Punchbowl News, Brown’s donation page asked potential contributors if they support Tuberville ‘in his fight to stop military-funded abortion trips.’ Since the report came out in September, references to Tuberville’s name have been removed, but the question ‘Should the Pentagon pay for travel to get abortions?’ remains on Brown’s page. The page also says that contributions will benefit the campaigns of Tim Sheehy in Montana, Sen. Tom Cotton in Arkansas and National Republican Senatorial Committee national committees in addition to Brown’s campaign. Despite criticism from Democrats, Republicans and military leaders, Tuberville recently said that he will continue to block military promotions in opposition to abortion policies. After Tuberville held up an additional 61 promotions on Wednesday, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) had critical words for his colleague on the Senate floor.” [Heartland Signal, 11/2/23]
Sheehy Followed NRSC Orders And Declared That He Would “Fight Against Efforts To Restrict” In-Vitro Fertilization
Sheehy Proclaimed His Support For I.V.F. After The NRSC Sent A Memo Urging Candidates To Do So: “We Want To Find More Ways To Bring Beautiful Babies Into This World, Not Less.” According to Axios, “Driving the news: The Senate Republican campaign arm sent a memo to candidates Friday morning, urging them to ‘clearly and concisely reject efforts by the government to restrict IVF,’ or in vitro fertilization, according to a copy obtained by Axios. [...] ‘We want to find more ways to bring beautiful babies into this world, not less,’ posted Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy. ‘I will fight against efforts to restrict it.’” [Axios, 2/23/24]
Sheehy Continued To Claim He Was “In Strong Support Of IVF”
Sheehy Stood “In Strong Support Of IVF” And Vowed To “Fight Against Any Effort To Restrict IVF Treatments.” According to Montana Public Radio, “‘I also stand in strong support of IVF as a path for Montana families to grow and thrive when they struggle to conceive naturally, like my brother and sister-in-law who battled infertility for three years, and eventually were blessed with my nephew through IVF. I will fight against any effort to restrict IVF treatments for women and families.’” [Montana Public Radio, 5/15/24]
Sheehy Refused To Answer A Voter’s Question On Abortion Rights
Sheehy Turned His Back To A Voter Who Repeatedly Asked If Sheehy “Would Vote To Reinstate Roe V. Wade.” According to American Journal News, “In a video shared exclusively with the American Journal News, a voter can be seen approaching Sheehy at a public event and asking if he would vote to reinstate Roe v. Wade. Sheehy initially acknowledges the voter before turning his back to them when the question is asked. The voter repeats the question two more times but Sheehy does not respond.” [American Jornal News, 4/9/24]
Endorsements
SBA Pro-Life America Endorsed Sheehy For Senate
SBA Pro-Life America Endorsed Tim Sheehy For Senate. According to SBA Pro-Life America, “Today SBA Pro-Life America’s Candidate Fund announced its endorsement of Tim Sheehy (R) for U.S. Senate in Montana. ‘We are proud to endorse Tim Sheehy in his battle to defeat pro-abortion extremist Senator Jon Tester,’ said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America. ’Senator Tester has abandoned Montana’s values and votes in lock step with the deep-pocketed abortion industry at every turn. Most egregious, Tester voted to block pro-life protections enacted by the states and mandate abortion on demand through all nine months – even painful late-term abortions with no limits. Tester even voted against providing life-saving care to babies who survive attempted abortions, and he would force taxpayers to fund abortion on demand. It is time to retire Jon Tester. Tim Sheehy understands how the Democrats’ reckless abortion agenda hurts women and children, especially in rural communities whose true health care needs are underserved. He is the best candidate to get the job done and will fight for Montana’s pro-life values in the U.S. Senate.’” [SBA Pro-Life America, 1/30/24]
Sheehy Said He Would “Proudly Stand For Life.” Sheehy tweeted, “As the father of four young children, I am proudly Pro-Life and honored to be endorsed by @sbaprolife ! My wife, Carmen, and I couldn’t imagine life without our children. That’s why, after seeing Montana families struggle to find the care they needed, we worked to improve rural health care by helping upgrade the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for at-risk infants and supporting pediatric specialty care in the local community. Together, we will protect the most vulnerable, proudly stand for life, and support Montana parents and kids!” [Twitter, @SheehyForMT, 1/30/24]
SBA Pro-Life America Opposed Federal IVF Protections
SBA Pro-Life Opposed Legislation To Enact Federal IVF Protections. Alice Ollstein tweeted, “SBA also opposes @SenDuckworth 's bill that would enact federal IVF protections, *and* they oppose the fix the Alabama legislature is considering, saying it ‘falls short of pro-life expectations and fails to respect the dignity of human life.’” [Twitter, @AliceOllstein, 2/28/24]
