¶ Reproductive Rights
¶ Walker Said He Would Sign Stricter Abortion Regulations Into Law
Walker Said He Would Be “More Than Happy” To Sign Stricter Abortion Regulations Into Law. According to WCNC, “The former pastor also indicated he would support stricter abortion regulations after Republicans in the General Assembly passed new restrictions this session. ‘Anytime that we have an opportunity to protect as many lives as possible, I wouldn't be more than happy to sign that bill,’ he said.” [WCNC, 6/30/23]
Walker Said He Viewed SB20, A 12-Week Abortion Ban, As A “First Step.” According to Twitter, “Latest GOP #NCGOV candidate confirms they'll continue to push back reproductive freedom in NC. Mark Walker calls SB20 ‘a first step.’ #ncpol” [Twitter, @kafrauenfelder, 5/23/23]
WRAL: Walker “Has Consistently Called For More Abortion Restrictions.” According to WRAL, “Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, who is said to be mulling a run for governor, did not respond to a WRAL News request for comment Thursday, but he has consistently called for more abortion restrictions.” [WRAL, 5/5/23]
¶ Walker Advocated For A Six Week Abortion Ban
Walker Advocated For A Six Week Abortion Ban. According to The Charlotte Observer, “Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker was also at the legislature to help advocate for a six-week ban. Before addressing the group of pastors, Walker, who himself has served as a pastor, told The News & Observer that Tuesday’s effort was a critical opportunity for abortion opponents. ‘You can literally feel it in the atmosphere, that this has been a day in the making — I would say, a day that many people in the evangelical community have been praying for, for decades,’ Walker said.” [Charlotte Observer, 3/1/23]
¶ Walker Touted His “100 Pro-Life” Bona fides
Walker Said He Was “100 Percent Pro-Life.” According to Politico, “Walker, too, stressed that he is ‘100 percent pro-life’ in an interview last month but that he believed there needed to be focus on providing ‘the resources needed to not just before the baby’s born, but also after the baby’s born’ and not just on the procedure.” [Politico, 5/20/23]
While In Congress, Walker Received An A+ Rating From The Susan B. Anthony List. According to The Carolina Journal, “Walker publicly backed Senate Bill 20, which restricts abortions in NC after 12-weeks, and was present for the General Assembly’s overturning of Gov. Cooper’s veto of the bill last week. Walker has been consistently pro-life throughout his political career. While in Congress, Walker earned an ‘A+’ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, an anti-abortion advocacy group.” [Carolina Journal, 5/24/23]
¶ Post-Roe Leak
Walker Celebrated The One-Year Anniversary Of The Dobbs Decision. According to Walker’s Twitter, “One year since Roe v. Wade was rightly overturned; I PROUDLY stand as the proven pro-life conservative ready to defend the rights of the unborn every single day. Every precious God-given life has the right to live—and I’ll never back down from that belief. No matter what Democrats in Raleigh or D.C. do to stop life, we will fight them every step of the way in the Walker Administration. #ncgov #ncpol” [Twitter, @RepMarkWalker, 6/24/23]
Walker Said He Would Encourage Women To Have A Child In Cases Of Rape Or Incest, But Said He Would Not Support A Blanket Government Mandate Compelling Women To Give Birth Under All Circumstances And Supported Leaving It Up To The States. According to WRAL, “Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, another top GOP candidate, said in an interview on Tuesday that it should be left up to states to set their own laws on abortion and that governments shouldn’t allow abortions under any circumstances. While he would encourage a woman to have a child in cases of rape or incest, he doesn’t support a blanket government mandate compelling women to give birth under all circumstances.” [WRAL, 5/3/22]
Mark Walker Claimed A 20 Week Abortion Ban Was A “Compromise” They Offered To Democrats When He Was In The House. “I do believe there are enough sensible people who are willing to say, look, a child deserves a right to be born. When I was on the House floor, we even offered a compromise and piece of legislation just to call their bluff with abortions up to 20 weeks. And then after that, you have every exception in the world. They still voted against it. This is where we are right now. And we've got to continue to call their bluff constantly, because that's what it's all about. [Pete Kaliner, 05/04/2022]; 220504_HMF_808_A
Walker Criticized Sen. Warnock’s Statement About Being A Pro-choice Pastor. Walker tweeted, “So, no room for the unborn child, ‘Pastor?’ You’d make a heck of an innkeeper.” [Twitter, @RepMarkWalker, 5/3/22]
