¶ Reproductive Rights
¶ Abortion, Generally
[VIDEO] Mastriano: "It's Not Your Body, It's Somebody Else's Body." At a forum for the PA Pro-Life Coalition Doug Mastriano said, “You follow the science. The sciance says that's a baby with a distinct DNA. It's not your body, it's somebody else's body.” [PA Pro-Life Coalition forum, 3/31/22]
Mastriano: “Science Is On The Side Of The Baby, And It’s Time We Defend ALL Life.” According to Mastriano’s Twitter, “Each of us deserves a chance to live. Science is on the side of the baby, and it's time that we defend ALL life. Visit us at Doug4Gov. com to learn more about Doug Mastriano's vision for Pennsylvania.” [Twitter, @dougmastriano, 6/1/22]
¶
¶ Texas Style Abortion Bans
Oct. 2021: Mastriano Supported Texas-Style Abortion Ban, Said “If The Baby Has A Heartbeat, The Abortion Cannot Be Performed.” According to Philadelphia Inquirer, “The Inquirer reached out to prospective and declared candidates running for governor and U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania and asked if they would support a Texas-style ban in Pennsylvania. Here are responses from them or their campaigns: […] FRANKLIN COUNTY STATE SEN. DOUG MASTRIANO, REPUBLICAN ‘My legislation will require physicians — before proceeding with an abortion — to determine whether the baby has a heartbeat. If the baby has a heartbeat, the abortion cannot be performed. No person with a beating heart, no matter how small, should be deprived of the fundamental right to life. Now is the time to have an open and honest discussion on this very difficult matter. Scientific and medical advances of the past 50 years have laid to waste the idea that the baby in the womb is simply a mass of tissue.’” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/6/21]
¶ Fetal Heartbeat Bills
[VIDEO] Mastriano: We Go For Heartbeatbill and Work Our Way Down. You Know, Heartbeat, Three To Five Weeks Heartbeat Is Detected. [Doug Mastriano, Lehigh & Northumberland County Meet and Greet, 5/4/2022]
Doug Mastriano On Passing Abortion Restrictions In PA: “I Will Move With Decision, Decisive Decisiveness.” “ We had some good news leaked out for whatever reason last night. After forty nine years of criminal activity in the murder of her unborn children here, this is about to end. I'm confident. And I will move with decision, decisive decisiveness here to sign these bills, whether it's my heartbeat bill or Stephanie Borowitz’s bill or Down Syndrome Protection Act and good analysts here to make to be the most pro-life governor in the nation here. That's my goal.So on day one, I have a series of executive orders, and just for everyone's comfort out there, executive orders are powers that a governor can wield. But you obviously want to back up the legislation. So the codified in the law. So after my eight years are up, the next governor can't overturn them. [Doug Mastriano, Southern York Meet and Greet, PA, 5/3/22]
2021: Mastriano Sponsored Bill To Ban Abortions When A Fetal Heartbeat Was Detected. According to Spotlight PA, “Pennsylvania abortion-rights advocates and their opponents agreed Wednesday that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to let a Texas law banning most abortions go into effect could clear the way for a similar prohibition here if Republicans win the 2022 governor’s race. […] State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin) is the lead sponsor of legislation that would require a doctor to seek a fetal heartbeat before performing an abortion. Doctors who detect a heartbeat could not legally perform the procedure. ‘I am obviously very excited and happy about this,’ said Mastriano, who is widely seen as a likely candidate for governor himself.” [Spotlight PA, 9/2/21]
Doug Mastriano: “One Of My First Piece Of Legislation.. Was Introducing The Heartbeat Bill…I'm The Most Pro-Life Guy Out There.” “As a new senator four years ago, one of my first piece of legislation, if not my first piece of legislation, was introducing the Heartbeat bill, together with Representative Stephanie Borowitz in the House, mirror legislation. And we had a big announcement rally for that back four years ago. And that's been our push. But as far as how this plays out politically, it's really kind of hard on my rivals since I'm the most pro-life guy out there. [Bannon’s Pandemic War Room, 5/3/22]
Mastriano Was The Lead Sponsor On A Heartbeat Bill That Would Ban Abortion As Early As 6 Weeks In Pennsylvania. According to The Pennsylvania Capital Star, “Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, who’s running for governor, is the lead sponsor on a bill that would ban abortion as early as six weeks, which is before most people know they are pregnant. Commonly dubbed ‘heartbeat bills,’ the proposals, according to medical experts, are misleading because an embryo does not yet have a developed heart at six weeks’ gestation.” [Pennsylvania Capital Star, 2/11/22]
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Mastriano Made It “Clear” That If Elected, He Would Move To Restrict Abortion Rights. According to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, “It’s not yet clear which candidate will emerge from the packed Republican primary field. But one candidate, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, has made it clear he’d move to restrict abortion rights if he’s elected. And, abetted by a Republican-controlled Legislature, it’s clear that he (or any other GOP hopeful) likely could do just that.” [Pennsylvania Capital-Star, 3/15/22]
The First Piece Of Legislation Mastriano Introduced In Harrisburg Would Have Banned Abortion After Six Weeks. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “State Sen. Doug Mastriano of Franklin County, polling as a front-runner in the Republican primary, noted in a televised debate last week that the first piece of legislation he introduced in Harrisburg three years ago would have banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.’ [Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/3/22]
Mastriano Said He Would “Move With Alacrity” To Ban Abortion After 6 Weeks, And That He Would Not Allow Any Exceptions For Rape, Incest, Or The Life Of The Mother. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Mastriano, who has sponsored legislation that would effectively ban abortion after about six to eight weeks, said he would ‘move with alacrity’ to enact that bill. He said he wouldn’t allow any exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother.” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/27/22]
¶ Reaction To Dobbs
[VIDEO] Doug Mastriano On SCOTUS Leak: “Thank You Leaker.” “But now the most important issue of our lifetime’s come up. Thank you to the leaker. I'm sure their their desire for this leak was nefarious, but it's going to work to our advantage. For me, it's not politics. I want abortion to end, period, but how it plays out politically since you asked about my campaign now it’s going to focus the people that are being bombarded by lies. Now, those lies are going to dissipate to the background as you talk about the right to life. And they're going to they're going to see that the material physical champion of life is, has been Doug Mastriano. One of my first pieces of legislation as a Senator three years ago was the heartbeat bill. If you look at my voting record. So I have a proven record, a demonstrated record of being very pro-life.” [Doug Mastriano, Turley Talks Facebook Live, PA, 05/03/22]
Doug Mastriano On Abortion Ban: “I'm Excited About What's Going On. Let's Have A Positive Attitude.” I'm Excited About What's Going On. Let's have a positive attitude. I know the left is probably strategizing and gaming and hoping they can bring pressure on one or two of the Supreme Court justices to change their vote. What this simply does, this ruling, if it stands, is it takes the power away from the federal government on the issue of abortion and allows the states to define when they want to protect babies, and 1973, the, of course, the Supreme Court, with several of its members compromised, by the way, several of the members had direct connections with with Planned Parenthood through their direct family members. And they should have recused themselves. They did not. And they made it a federal issue. This case here will put it back in the hands of the states where it should be anyway. The federal government has seized too much power over the years.[....] And everyone knows where I stand on it, very clear. Life starts at conception. Introduced one of my first piece of legislation, may have been my first piece, but definitely one we worked on the hardest early on, as a new senator in 2019, it was the heartbeat bill. I had to reintroduce it in January, because no action was taken on the first two years that we had it, and every two years, every two years on a fixed timeline, things like reset at the General Assembly. So if legislation doesn't stack up every two years. You've got to start all over again. That's called a new session. So sessions are two years in length and this new session is 21 through 22. And then, of course, legislation by the senators and Reps that they saw no action on, but they want to reintroduce they reintroduce it, of course, in ’23. Every two years, so that makes sense… So the heartbeat bill. I'm at conception. The Republicans have failed on this issue here immensely on the right to life. We actually had an opportunity in the 80s to, in effect end abortion, and even back then there was many Democrats that were pro-life back then. I used to watch C-SPAN and watch Congressman Henry Hyde from Illinois and Congressman Chris Smith in New Jersey leading the charge on the right to life. It was a very engaging and intriguing time. Democrats always have a way to kind of outfox the Republicans, and uh. Their game then, of course, the Republicans wanted to ban all abortions. I agree. Democrats came back. ‘We will vote on this, but we want the exceptions,’ you know, ‘the health of the mother, rape and incest’. And the Republicans, in hindsight, should have said ‘yes’. And, because between only- between one and four percent of the abortions include those three exceptions. [Doug Mastriano, Facebook Live, PA, 05/03/22]
Doug Mastriano On Abortion Bans: “We Look For Any Opportunity, Any Legislation To To Save Babies Lives” And so it should be with us that we look for any opportunity, any legislation to to save babies lives. And eventually we'll get to where we need to go, at conception. All or nothing, I wish it worked. The Republicans tried it in ’84 and it failed miserably. [Doug Mastriano, Facebook Live, PA, 05/03/22]
Doug Mastriano On SCOTUS Ruling On Roe: “This Will Put The Power Back In The Hands Of All 50 States And 18 Of Those States Already Have Legislation To Limit Or Restrict Abortion Greatly, Which Pennsylvania Is One Of Them.” (00:00) Host: [Welcomes Mastriano to the show, asks him for his personal assessment of the overturn of Roe v Wade.] (00:26) DM: Yeah, what happened in ’73 when it became a federal decision and a federal issue, I think was not constitutional. So this is righting the ship, and instantly 18 states, when this is adjudicated and finally the last votes are in in June or whatever comes out, this will put the power back in the hands of all 50 states and 18 of those states already have legislation to limit or restrict abortion greatly, which Pennsylvania is one of them 00:48) Host: [Asks how this leak would impact the decision, given protestors are already gathering. Asks how people in PA feel about this issue.] (01:15) DM: Well, you know, and I've been up front with this, Steve, as a new senator four years ago, one of my first piece of legislation, if not my first piece of legislation, was introducing the Heartbeat bill, together with Representative Stephanie Borowitz in the House, mirror legislation. And we had a big announcement rally for that back four years ago. And that's been our push. But as far as how this plays out politically, it's really kind of hard on my rivals since I'm the most pro-life guy out there and actually have legislation to back it up in the voting record to prove it. Right now, they’re trying to distract by calling me names and, you know, ‘fake conservative’. I mean, just Steve, I got to tell you what, spending my life in the United States Army for 30 years and, you know, you were United States Navy, we do equip with a bit of integrity or try to anyway. There's a code of conduct. In politics it’s all gone. And I'm really sick and tired of the politics and these politicians willing to lie to get a vote. So this is hurting them. They're running a lot of nasty ads, but now it's focusing back on the issue here of life. And it's funny, in 1776 in Philadelphia, when we declared our independence from that king, it was all about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. So we're back to basics here and things that matter. [Bannon’s Pandemic War Room, 5/3/22]
Mastriano: “It Is A Good Sign That A Majority Of The Justices At This Time Are Inclined To Follow The Science.” According to a statement Mastriano tweeted out, “Although the decision will not be final until June and the leaking of this document is unprecedented it is a good sign that the majority of the justices at this time are inclined to follow the science.” [Twitter, @SenMastriano, 5/3/22]
Mastriano’s Statement On Roe V. Wade Getting Overturned: “Roe V. Wade Is Rightly Relegated To The Ash Heap Of History.” According to Mastriano’s Facebook,
[Facebook, Doug Mastriano Fighting for Freedom, 6/25/22]
In His Statement, Mastriano Said This Supreme Court Decision “Must Not Take Our Focus Away From The Key Issues Facing Pennsylvania Families.” According to Mastriano’s statement on Facebook, “While this decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a triumph for innocent life, it must not take our focus away from the key issues facing Pennsylvania families.” [Facebook, Doug Mastriano Fighting for Freedom, 6/25/22]
Mastriano On The SCOTUS Ruling: “SCOTUS Has Put The Issue Of Abortion In The Hands Of The Voters Where It Belongs.” According to Mastriano’s Facebook,
[Facebook, Doug Mastriano Fighting for Freedom, 6/26/22]
Mastriano: “Celebrating Life!” According to Mastriano’s Facebook, “Celebrating life! ‘For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ Psalm 139:13-14a [Facebook, Senator Doug Mastriano, 6/25/22]
Mastriano: “Life Wins!” According to Mastriano’s Facebook, “Life Wins!” [Facebook, Doug Mastriano Fighting for Freedom, 6/24/22]
¶ Abortion Exceptions
Doug Mastriano On Exceptions For Abortions: “I Don’t Give A Way For Exceptions.” [WJET (ABC), 5/3/22]
Doug Mastriano: “I Want Abortion To End, Period.” But now the most important issue of our lifetime’s come up. Thank you to the leaker. I'm sure their their desire for this leak was nefarious, but it's going to work to our advantage. For me, it's not politics. I want abortion to end, period, but how it plays out politically since you asked about my campaign now it’s going to focus the people that are being bombarded by lies. Now, those lies are going to dissipate to the background as you talk about the right to life. And they're going to they're going to see that the material physical champion of life is, has been Doug Mastriano. One of my first pieces of legislation as a Senator three years ago was the heartbeat bill. If you look at my voting record. So I have a proven record, a demonstrated record of being very pro-life. [Doug Mastriano, Turley Talks Facebook Live, PA, 05/03/22]
Doug Mastriano Admits He’d Like Abortion Banned From Contraception: “My Goal Ultimately Is To Get It Down To Conception In The End.” “DM: ..it is sickening to me. So one of the first pieces of legislation that I introduced and you guys covered it quite well was the heartbeat Bill. I mean, that's a measure. My goal ultimately is to get it down to conception in the end, but I'm trying to approach this in a way that we can save as many babies as soon as possible. So the panic on the left is telling. They're worried that the majority of the people, obviously, and the majority of the legislative bodies around the nation are going to move to limit abortion. We do know already there's 18 states that have legislation in place. And once the power is returned to them, it's going to greatly limit the ability to kill babies.”[Doug Mastriano, Newstalk 1037 FM, PA, 5/4/22]