Note: If you have questions on this page or its contents, please feel free to reach out to Presidential Research Director Julie Alderman Boudreau ([email protected]) or Haley Lead Researcher Jared Allman ([email protected])
2010: Haley Said As Governor She Would Sign Legislation Outlawing Abortion If Roe Was Overturned. According to the Associated Press, “Limiting abortions and approving death sentences point to some of the clearest differences among the Republicans and Democrats competing to become governor. The GOP candidates, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, state Rep. Nikki Haley and Attorney General Henry McMaster, all say they would sign a bill outlawing abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns the 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the U.S.” [Associated Press, 5/31/10]
Haley Called Overturning Of Roe “A Historic Win.” According to a tweet from Haley’s personal account, “This is a historic win for the pro-life movement. It’s an even bigger win for the American people. It puts the debate back where it belongs—at the state level, closest to the people.” [Twitter - @NikkiHaley, 6/24/22]
Haley Said Of Draft Decision To Overturn Roe “A Victory” And “Millions Have Prayed For This Day.” According to a tweet from Haley’s personal account, “Millions of Americans have prayed for this day. It’s a victory for the most basic right there is – the right to life. Now starts the movement to ensure the people and their elected representatives have the power to support every mother and protect every child across the country.” [Twitter - @NikkiHaley, 5/3/22]
Haley’s PAC Said Outrage By Liberals At Draft Decision To Grant Government Control Over Women’s Bodies Just Shows They Want More Government Control. According to Stand For America, “Life is winning in America again. In case you missed it: The Supreme Court has reportedly made a decision on its most consequential case in a generation. In it, the Court would uphold Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks and overturn Roe v. Wade. That’s a big deal. It would give the authority to protect moms and babies back to the states nearly 50 years after it was wrongly taken away in Roe. Predictably, liberals are furious. They’ve responded by calling for anything that would give power back to Washington, from packing the Supreme Court to ending the Senate filibuster. It’s the latest proof that they really just want more control over our daily lives—including the lives of the unborn. We can’t let that happen.” [Stand For America, 5/4/22]
2022: Haley Called Colorado’s New Abortion Law “Horrifying,” “Extreme,” And “Cruel.” According to a tweet from Haley’s personal account, “It’s horrifying that Colorado’s Governor, Jarod Polis, just signed one of the most extreme and cruel abortion laws in the world. Praying for the babies and the mothers who need to know there are so many other options.” [Twitter - @NikkiHaley, 4/5/22]
Haley’s PAC Published Book Calling Roe Decision A “Shocking Betrayal” Of Founding Principles. According to a chapter by Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in American Strength: Conservative Solutions Worth Fighting For, which was published by Haley’s PAC Stand For America, “From America’s inception, a tenacious defense of human rights and freedom has been integral to our national character. It is no accident that life comes first among the unalienable rights mentioned in our Declaration of Independence. Without it, all others are impossible. Roe v. Wade was a shocking betrayal of those foundational principles. In a single day, the Supreme Court struck down every state law protecting unborn children and their mothers, imposing abortion on demand nationwide. This ensured deep division for decades to come and sparked a human rights movement both universal and quintessentially American.” [Stand For America, December 2021]
Haley’s PAC Published Book Calling Overturning Roe Decision “Re-Enfranchising The People.” According to a chapter by Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in American Strength: Conservative Solutions Worth Fighting For, which was published by Haley’s PAC Stand For America, “As of this writing, the Supreme Court is poised to consider whether any pre-viability limits on abortion are constitutional. Roe could be overturned, re-enfranchising the people. But even in the event of an unequivocal win, much more is necessary to build a thoroughgoing culture of life.” [Stand For America, December 2021]
Haley Said Every Life Is Blessed By God And Has Value. According to Haley’s 2010 Campaign Website archived by the Wayback Machine, “’I believe every life has a value and is blessed by God – my husband was adopted and my pro-life convictions stem from the fact I feel the blessings of that value every day knowing someone chose life for him. I see it every day in my two children as I watch them grow. My hope is that we continue to encourage and work towards educating that value of life to everyone.” [nikkihaley.com via Wayback Machine, 5/18/10]
Haley Said She Was Pro-Life Because Her Husband Was Adopted. According to the Associated Press, “’I’m strongly pro-life, very pro-life and not because my party tells me to be, but my husband was adopted, and so every day I know the blessings of having him there,’ said Haley, a 38-year-old Lexington mother of two serving her third House term. ‘That’s a personal thing for me.’” [Associated Press, 5/31/10]
Haley Described Herself As “Strongly Pro-Life” And Said She Would Support “Anything We Can Do To Keep From Having Abortions” At Confirmation Hearing. In her confirmation hearing Wednesday, Haley told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she would bring her conservative views into her new role. ‘I am strongly pro-life, so anything we can do to keep from having abortions, or to keep them from not knowing what is available, I will support,’ she said.” [McClatchy, 1/18/17]
Haley Said Those Who Demand Conformity On Abortion Are Not Real Feminists.** According to USA Today, “Giving the keynote address at a gala f**or the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life group, former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley made comments critical of the pro-choice movement's stance on feminism and the current debate over abortion rights. In a video posted by Fox Business, Haley told the crowd that the abortion advocates who ‘demand conformity’ of women on the issue of abortion are not real feminists. ‘Unfortunately, many on the left use the abortion debate to divide women and demand conformity. They do this in the name of feminism. But that is not real feminism,’ she said at the event in Washington, D.C. ‘The idea that women must adhere to a particular set of values is one of the most anti-women ideas in today’s culture,’ she continued. Haley explained that her pro-life stance on abortion was not about being ‘for or against women’ but instead was about supporting ‘a baby’s right to live, the most basic right there is.’ ‘Respect for human life is who we are as Americans. It's right there in the Declaration of Independence. You can't have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without the right to life,’ said Haley, the former governor of South Carolina who was tapped by President Donald Trump to become the U.N. ambassador in 2017.” [USA Today, 7/5/19]
Haley’s Accusation That The Green New Deal Promoted Abortion Was Ruled “Mostly False.” According to PolitiFact, “Republican Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador under President Donald Trump and former South Carolina governor sent an email Oct. 26 from Stand for America, a policy group she launched in February. The email says the following: ‘Liberals continue to go around the country touting their radical climate change agenda. ‘Front and center was their ‘Green New Deal.’ Or as we at Stand For America have come to call it, the ‘Green New Scam.’ The candidates touted everything from putting limits on red meat consumption, to promoting abortion in third world countries to control the population! ‘We must stand up to these liberals, and let them know that we don’t support this radical agenda!’ The email then links to a petition that seeks to stop the Green New Deal, saying it would ‘promote abortion.’ Broadly, the Green New Deal is a resolution first proposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., that would address ways to curb climate change and protect the environment, with measures on emissions, water, infrastructure and scientific research. The words abortion and population are not mentioned in the text of the Green New Deal resolution. With regard to other countries, the resolution says only that the Green New Deal would promote ‘the international exchange of technology, expertise, products, funding and services, with the aim of making the United States the international leader on climate action, and to help other countries achieve a Green New Deal.’ So what is Haley talking about? We repeatedly emailed, called and messaged Stand for America, and we reached out to the publisher of Haley’s forthcoming book. But we did not receive any replies to our requests for information to support Haley’s statement. […] We rate Haley’s claim Mostly False.” [PolitiFact, 11/1/19]
Haley Signed A Law Banning Abortions At 20 Weeks With No Exceptions For Rape Or Incest. According to CNN, “South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley signed a bill into law on Wednesday that makes it illegal for a woman to obtain an abortion after her pregnancy reaches 20 weeks, press secretary Chaney Adams said. The law takes effect immediately. Abortions may be performed after 20 weeks only if the mother's life is in jeopardy, Adams said. The bill does not provide exceptions for rape or incest.” [CNN, 5/26/16]
Haley Signed The Born Alive Infant Protection Act. According to the Anderson Independent Mail, “Gov. Nikki Haley signed two bills at the Carolina Pregnancy Center in Spartanburg on Thursday supporters say are aimed at protecting the rights of unborn babies and prevent taxpayers from paying for abortions under the Affordable Care Act. The Born Alive Infant Protection Act went into effect in May and Affordable Care Abortion Opt Out bill was signed into law in June, but Haley was flanked by pregnancy center volunteers, ministers, lawmakers and children Thursday afternoon when she held the ceremonial signings.” [Anderson Independent Mail, 8/24/12]
2009: Haley Voted For Born Alive Legislation. According to the South Carolina Journal, “A Bill To Amend Section 2-7-30, Code Of Laws Of South Carolina, 1976, Relating To The Construction Of The Words ‘Person’ And ‘Party’ As Those Words Appear In The Laws Of This State, So As To Provide Further For The Construction Of ‘Person’, ‘Human Being’, ‘Child’, And ‘Individual’, So That They Include Every Infant Member Of Species Homo Sapiens Who Is Born Alive And To Define ‘Born Alive’. Rep. Delleney demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows: Yeas 100; Nays 8 Those who voted in the affirmative are: […] Haley.” [South Carolina Journal, 2/26/09]
After the Senate Sent The Bill Back With Additions Stating That The Bill Does Not Affect Laws On Abortion Or Generally Accepted Medical Practices, Haley Voted For An Amendment To Strip Those Sections. According to the South Carolina House Journal, Haley voted “Aye” on an amendment to House Bill 3342 to strike the language approved by the Senate and reinsert the House adopted language. [South Carolina House Journal, 5/21/09]
2005: Haley Voted For The "Right To Life Act Of South Carolina," Which Said Due Process And Equal Protection Rights Begin At Fertilization. According to the South Carolina House Journal, “A Bill To Amend Title 1, Chapter 1, Code Of Laws Of South Carolina, 1976, Relating To The Administration Of Government, By Adding Article 5, So As To Enact The "Right To Life Act Of South Carolina" Which Establishes That The Right To Due Process And The Right To Equal Protection Vest At Fertilization. The question then recurred to the passage of the Bill on third reading. Rep. VIERS demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows: Yeas 91; Nays 10 Those who voted in the affirmative are: […] Haley.” [South Carolina House Journal, 4/14/05]
Haley Sponsored Personhood Legislation In The South Carolina Legislature. According to the South Carolina Legislature, Haley sponsored House Bill 3526, the 'Right to Life Act of South Carolina.’ [South Carolina Statehouse, 2/27/10]
2007: Haley Voted For Legislation That Would Include “Unborn Child” As A Person Under South Carolina Civil Code. According to the South Carolina House Journal, “A Bill To Amend The Code Of Laws Of South Carolina, 1976, By Adding Section 15-5-5 So As To Provide That For Purposes Of A Civil Cause Of Action, The Term "Person" Includes An Unborn Child, The Term "Unborn Child" Means A Child In Utero, And To Provide Certain Exceptions. […] The question then recurred to the passage of the Bill on second reading. Rep. DELLENEY demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows: Yeas 111; Nays 0 Those who voted in the affirmative are: […] Haley.” [South Carolina House Journal, 3/27/07]
Personhood Legislation Could Limit Access To Some Forms Of Birth Control. According to Bustle, “House Resolution 586, otherwise known as the ‘personhood bill,’ was recently introduced into the House of Representatives and referred to committee for consideration. If this bill became law, it would dictate that human life begins at fertilization, thereby banning all abortions. Furthermore, if passed, the personhood bill could affect birth control options and access, since the anti-choice movement often believes that birth control inhibits fertilization, even though this is not necessarily accurate.” [Bustle, 1/26/17]
Haley Signed Law Barring Taxpayer Funded Abortion Except For When The Mother’s Life Is In Danger. According to Anderson Independent-Mail, “Gov. Nikki Haley signed two bills at the Carolina Pregnancy Center in Spartanburg on Thursday supporters say are aimed at protecting the rights of unborn babies and prevent taxpayers from paying for abortions under the Affordable Care Act… Haley said the Affordable Care Act Abortion Opt Out bill will protect state taxpayers and employees from paying for abortions, except when the mother’s life is in danger, when ‘Obamacare’ is fully implemented. According to The State newspaper, the state health plan has covered six abortions, all to save the life of the mother, since 2006. The opt-out law prohibits private insurance companies from covering abortion except by what is called a separate rider. Abortion insurance would be available for those who purchase it with a separate policy.” [Anderson Independent-Mail, 8/24/12]
Haley Voted To End Abortion Coverage For Victims Of Rape And Incest In Employee Health Care Plans. According to McClatchy, “When she served in the S.C. House of Representatives, Haley voted to end abortion coverage for victims of rape and incest in the state health care plan for employees.” [McClatchy, 1/18/17]
March 2010: The South Carolina State House Overturned A Complete Ban On Abortion Coverage In State Insurance Health Plans By Allowing Exceptions In Cases Of Rape, Incest, Or If The Health Of The Mother Was In Danger. According to The State (SC), “Lawmakers overturned a ban on abortion coverage under state insurance coverage included in the budget late Tuesday, approving exemptions in cases of rape, incest or a threat to the mother's life. The original draft of the $5.1 billion spending plan would have banned state insurance from covering any abortion procedure, but Democrats pushed for the change during an emotional floor debate. The measure narrowly passed by a 57-54 vote.” [The State, 3/17/10]
During Debate On The 2010 Budget, Legislators Stripped Out The Abortion Coverage Exceptions Provision And Substituted Only Allowing Abortion Coverage If It Was “Incidental” To Trying To Save A Mother’s Life. According to the Rock Hill Herald, “The House's $5 billion budget plan bans most abortions for employees covered by the state insurance plan. With a 75-38 vote, legislators allowed only the rare exception of an abortion being ‘incidental’ to a doctor trying to save a mother's life. Legislators said half a dozen women received state-paid abortions last year under the current exceptions to victims of rape or incest and, more generally, women whose lives are in jeopardy. The House rejected the ban 57-54 late Tuesday. But Republicans renewed the debate about 1 a.m. Thursday. During the next six hours, the podium often seemed more like a church pulpit, with both sides quoting scripture. Republicans that argued it's an ethical issue and that a child should not pay for a father's crimes. Democrats accused their GOP counterparts of playing God and imposing a religious viewpoint on others.” [Rock Hill Herald, 3/21/10]
Haley Voted For The Amendment Striking Out The Exceptions. According to the South Carolina House Journal, “The question then recurred to the adoption of the amendment. Rep. STAVRINAKIS demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows: Yeas 75; Nays 38 Those who voted in the affirmative are: […] Haley.” [South Carolina House Journal, 3/17/10]
2006: Haley Voted For Legislation That Required An Ultrasound Performed And That The Ultrasound Pictures Be Viewed By The Person Seeking An Abortion. According to the South Carolina House Journal, “A Bill To Amend Section 44-41-330, Code Of Laws Of South Carolina, 1976, Relating To Prerequisites For The Performance Of An Abortion, Information To Be Provided, Certification, Waiting Period, Special Provisions For Minors Or Mentally Incompetent Persons, Retention Of Records, And Unavailability Of Records, So As To Provide That The Physician Who Is To Perform The Abortion Must Verify The Probable Gestational Age Of The Embryo Or Fetus By Using An Obstetric Ultrasound, To Provide That The Images Used To Verify The Probable Gestational Age Must Be Reviewed With The Woman Seeking The Abortion, And To Provide That The Woman Seeking The Abortion Must Certify In Writing Before The Abortion Is Performed That She Has Reviewed The Ultrasound Images. […] Pursuant to Rule 7.7 the Yeas and Nays were taken resulting as follows: Yeas 91; Nays 23 Those who voted in the affirmative are: […] Haley.” [South Carolina House Journal, 3/21/07]
Haley Voted To Table An Amendment That Waived The Required Viewing Of The Ultrasound If The Pregnancy Was The Result Of Rape Or Incest. According to the South Carolina House Journal, “Reps. RUTHERFORD and JENNINGS proposed the following Amendment No. 8, which was tabled:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, Section 44-1-330, as found in SECTION 1, by adding an appropriately numbered subsection at the end to read: The provisions of this section requiring the viewing of the obstetric ultrasound before consent to an abortion do not apply to a woman whose pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. […] Rep. DELLENEY moved to table the amendment. Rep. COBB-HUNTER demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows: Yeas 71; Nays 45 Those who voted in the affirmative are: […] Haley.” [South Carolina House Journal, 3/21/07]
Haley Voted To Table An Amendment That Would Waive The Required Viewing Of The Ultrasound If The Pregnancy Is The Result Of A Rape A Judge Has Determined Probable Cause Exists Of Criminal Sexual Conduct Or Issued A Warrant For Criminal Sexual Conduct. According to the South Carolina House Journal, “Amend the bill, as and if amended, Section 44-1-330, SECTION 1, by adding an appropriately numbered subsection at the end to read: The provisions of this section requiring the viewing of the obstetric ultrasound before consent to an abortion do not apply to a woman whose pregnancy is the result of rape and a judge has made the determination that probable cause exists that the crime of criminal sexual conduct has occurred or has issued a warrant for criminal sexual conduct in her case. [..] Rep. DELLENEY moved to table the amendment. Rep. JENNINGS demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows: Yeas 60; Nays 52 Those who voted in the affirmative are: […] Haley.” [South Carolina House Journal, 3/21/07]
Haley Sponsored House Bill 3245 Requiring A 24-Hour Waiting Period Before An Abortion Is Preformed. According to the South Carolina House Journal, “H3245 STATUS INFORMATION General Bill Sponsors: Reps. Delleney, Nanney, Simrill, G.R. Smith, G.M. Smith, Lucas, Cooper, Stringer, Parker, Allison, Pinson, Hamilton, Erickson, J.R. Smith, Clemmons, Bedingfield, E.H. Pitts, Owens, Rice, Hiott, Littlejohn, Stewart, Viers, Willis, Loftis, Toole, Wylie, Vick, Millwood, Haley, Duncan, Ballentine, Frye and Barfield […] An Act To Amend Section 44-41-330, As Amended, Code Of Laws Of South Carolina, 1976, Relating To, Among Other Things, Prerequisites To Performing An Abortion, So As To Provide That No Abortion May Be Performed Sooner Than Twenty-Four Hours After A Woman Receives And Verifies She Has Received Certain Information That Must Be Provided To Her By Law; To Amend Section 44-41-340, Relating To The Publication Of Information That Must Be Provided To A Woman Before Undergoing An Abortion, So As To Provide That The Information Must Include A List Of Health Care Providers, Facilities, And Clinics That Perform Ultrasounds Free Of Charge, A Plainly Worded Explanation Of How A Woman May Calculate The Gestational Age Of Her Embryo Or Fetus, A Scientifically Accurate Statement Concerning The Contribution That Each Parent Makes To The Genetic Constitution Of Their Biological Child, And Forms For Notifications, Certifications, And Verifications Required By Law; To Require The Department Of Health And Environmental Control To Post This Information On Its Internet Website And To Require The Department's Website To Provide A Link To The Internet Websites Maintained By Health Care Providers, Facilities, And Clinics That Perform Ultrasounds Free Of Charge And That Have Requested To Be Listed By The Department; And To Amend Section 44-41-380, Relating To Severability Provisions Concerning The "Women's Right To Know Act", So As To Make A Technical Correction.” [South Carolina House Journal, 6/24/10]
Haley Voted In Favor Of House Bill 3245 Requiring A 24-Hour Waiting Period Before An Abortion Is Preformed. According to Project Vote Smart, Haley voted for H 3245, the “Women’s Right To Know” Act, which required a 24-hour waiting period from the moment a woman certified to a doctor that she had read state mandated materials before an abortion could be performed. [Project Vote Smart, 2/26/09]
Haley Voted To Table An Amendment That Would Provide Exemption To South Carolina’s Abortion Waiting Period Law For Cases Of Rape And Incest. According to Project Vote Smart, Nikki Haley voted to table an amendment that would have excluded cases of rape and incest from the state’s abortion waiting period. [Project Vote Smart, 2/24/09]
Haley’s PAC Published Book Calling For Hyde Amendment To Be Made Permanent And Government Wide. According to a chapter written by Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in American Strength: Conservative Solutions Worth Fighting For, which was published by Haley’s PAC Stand For America, “Together with Congress, a top priority should be making the Hyde Amendment permanent and government-wide to ensure that taxpayer dollars are never used to pay for abortion..” [Stand For America, December 2021]
Haley Vetoed Nearly Half A Million Dollars For The SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, A Collection Of Rape Crisis Centers. According to a veto message from South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley archived with South Carolina State Library, “Veto 51 Part 18, Page 472; Section 90, Statewide Revenue, Proviso 90.208, Non-recurring Revenue, Item 27(b), Department of Health and Environmental Control - SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: $453,680.” [South Carolina State Library, 7/5/12]
In Her Veto Message, Haley Said She Vetoed The Appropriation Because It “Distract[s] From The Agency's Broader Mission Of Protecting South Carolina's Public Health.” According to a veto message from South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley archived with South Carolina State Library, “I am vetoing each of the earmarks in Section 90 of the Department of Health and Environmental Control's budget. Each of these lines attempts to serve a portion of our population for which we extend our sympathy and encouragement, but nevertheless, it is only a small portion of South Carolina's chronically ill or abused. Overall, these special add-on lines distract from the agency's broader mission of protecting South Carolina's public health. Each new special interest that wins an earmark takes more of DHEC's attention away from its overall mission.” [South Carolina State Library, 7/5/12]
In Her Veto Message Of The Funding For Rape Crisis Centers, Haley Said “Each New Special Interest That Wins An Earmark Takes More Of DHEC's Attention Away From Its Overall Mission.” According to a veto message from South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley archived with South Carolina State Library, “I am vetoing each of the earmarks in Section 90 of the Department of Health and Environmental Control's budget. Each of these lines attempts to serve a portion of our population for which we extend our sympathy and encouragement, but nevertheless, it is only a small portion of South Carolina's chronically ill or abused. Overall, these special add-on lines distract from the agency's broader mission of protecting South Carolina's public health. Each new special interest that wins an earmark takes more of DHEC's attention away from its overall mission.” [South Carolina State Library, 7/5/12]
Haley Referred To The South Carolina Coalition Of Domestic Violence A Special Interest In Explaining Her Veto Of Their Funding. According to a post on Haley’s Facebook page, “veto of SC Coalition of Domestic Violence $453,680. Special interests made their way into the DHEC budget. This is not about the merit of their fights but the back door way of getting the money. It's wrong and another loophole for legislators and special interests to use. Defeated 111-0.” [Facebook – Nikki Haley, 7/17/12]
House Unanimously Overrode Haley’s Veto Of Nearly Half A Million Dollars For Rape Crisis Center. According to the Associated Press, “The House voted unanimously to override Gov. Nikki Haley's veto of $454,000 to support rape crisis centers around the state. The 111-0 vote restores the money disbursed to 15 centers that last year helped 5,000 victims. It represents the House's first unanimous override of Haley's budget vetoes. Lawmakers say they were particularly disappointed by the language Haley used in her veto. In her veto message, the governor referred to the add-on budget item as a distraction from the larger mission of the state's public health agency. Republican Rep. Joan Brady of Columbia says being a survivor of rape doesn't make someone a distraction to government. In response to the backlash over the veto, Haley has said she vetoed the money because of how the services were funded.” [Associated Press, 7/17/12]
Senate Overrode The Veto By A Vote Of 39-2. According to the South Carolina Senate, “Senate Roll Call Vote Number 1439 Session: 119 (2011-2012) 07/18/2012 05:17 pm to override Veto 51 - GAB, DHEC, S.C. Coalition against Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault RESULT: Passed Ayes: 39; Nays: 2.” [South Carolina Senate, 7/18/12]
The Executive Director Of The SCCADVSA Testified That Limited Exceptions To A Proposed Abortion Ban Would Not Protect Victims. According to testimony from Sara Barber, Executive Director of the SCCADVSA before the South Carolina House, “I wish to speak today specifically to the rape and incest exception included in this bill and whether it would actually protect the victims and survivors of these violent crimes. Unfortunately, it does not. […] There is overwhelming public support for ensuring that people are able to terminate pregnancies that result from rape or incest. However, the rape and incest exception in this bill will not protect victims. In fact, it will subject them to additional harm. […] Rape and incest take away women’s self-determination over their bodies and their lives. The proposed legislation would make it even harder for victims to make the decisions that are right for them. I urge you to consider that the exceptions do not protect victims and negatively impact their right to self determination along their path to healing.” [South Carolina State House, 9/10/19]
SCCADVSA Said Overturning Roe Would Be “Devastating.” According to a post on the SCCADVSA’s Facebook Page, “Overturning Roe would be particularly devastating for low-income survivors, survivors or color, those with disabilities, and others who already face substantial barriers to accessing the healthcare they need.” [Facebook – SCCADVSA, 5/17/22]
January 2017: Haley Said She Would Support Any Effort To “Educate, Help Plan, Help Let Them Know What Contraceptions Are In Place” When Asked If She Would Support The UNFPA (UN Family Planning Fund). According to the Government Publishing Office’s transcript of Haley’s testimony concerning her nomination to be UN Ambassador, “[Senator Shaheen] So, if confirmed, would you continue to support those efforts by UNFPA? [Governor Haley]. I will support any efforts that help educate, help plan, help let them know what contraceptions are in place so that we can avoid any other further action. I am strongly pro-life, and so anything that we can do to keep from having abortions or to keep them from not--knowing what is available, I will absolutely support. [Senator Shaheen]. Well, I very much appreciate that because I think sometimes the idea of access to family planning services is conflated with abortion, and it is a very different issue. [Governor Haley]. Right. [Senator Shaheen]. And this is a way to avoid abortions, unplanned pregnancies. [Governor Haley]. Absolutely. You are quite right.” [Government Publishing Office, 1/18/17]
April 2017: Trump Administration Ended U.S. Funding For The United Nations Family Planning Fund. According to the New York Times, “The Trump administration informed Congress on Monday that it had terminated United States funding for the United Nations Population Fund, the world’s leading provider of family planning services, including contraception, to women in at least 155 countries. The United States is one of the top donor nations to the United Nations, and the denial of funding was one of President Trump’s biggest moves yet to reduce financing for family planning. While the administration had signaled back in January that was adopting a tougher stance toward family planning services that provide abortion counseling, the move was nonetheless a stunning piece of news to advocates for women’s and children’s health, particularly in the developing world.” [New York Times, 4/3/17]
Haley’s PAC Published Book Calling Funding The United Nations Population Fund “Cultural Imperialism.” According to a chapter written by Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in American Strength: Conservative Solutions Worth Fighting For, which was published by Haley’s PAC Stand For America, “Under pro-abortion Democratic administrations, the United States has bankrolled Planned Parenthood, Marie Stopes International, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Groups like these lobby against other nations’ pro-life laws, or even facilitate illegal abortions. This funding is a deeply offensive form of cultural imperialism. It is also contributing to genocide under China’s communist regime.” [Stand For America, December 2021]
Haley Called For Department Of Health And Environmental Control To Investigate Abortion Clinics After Release Of Planned Parenthood Sting Videos. According to The State (SC), “Gov. Nikki Haley asked South Carolina's health regulatory agency Tuesday to investigate practices at the state's three abortion clinics after recent controversies about Planned Parenthood. In a letter to S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control director Catherine Heigel, Haley asks the agency to ‘engage in a prompt and comprehensive investigation of the policies and practices of abortion clinics in our state, prioritizing those affiliated with or owned by Planned Parenthood, its subsidiaries, and its affiliates.’ DHEC oversees the state's abortion clinics, including one in Columbia run by Planned Parenthood. Other clinics are in Charleston and Greenville. ‘Over the past weeks, I have been shocked by recent accounts of unethical practices at clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood, particularly those regarding the sale of human fetal tissue,’ Haley wrote. The governor also cited findings of a S.C. Legislative Audit Council report issued in May that found DHEC failed to inspect abortion clinics consistently each year as required by state law. The report also raised questions about the small number of patient files DHEC reviewed during some inspections, the training of inspectors and whether inspectors followed up to see if clinics corrected violations. Haley's probe request follows criticism in Congress after videos, released by an anti-abortion group, showed Planned Parenthood officials talking about harvesting and selling fetal tissue for research. Some on Capitol Hill want to end more than $500 million in annual federal funding to Planned Parenthood. Efforts to reach Planned Parenthood were unsuccessful Tuesday. The nonprofit's leaders have said the videos are highly edited and fraudulent. Planned Parenthood has said it does not sell fetal tissue.” [The State (SC), 8/18/15]
Analysis Of Videos Showed They Were Manipulated And Were “Unreliable For Any Official Inquiry.” According to the New York Times, “Planned Parenthood on Thursday gave congressional leaders and a committee that is investigating allegations of criminality at its clinics an analysis it commissioned concluding that ‘manipulation’ of undercover videos by abortion opponents make those recordings unreliable for any official inquiry. ‘A thorough review of these videos in consultation with qualified experts found that they do not present a complete or accurate record of the events they purport to depict,’ the analysis of a private research company said.” [New York Times, 8/28/15]
Transcriptions Had Substantive Omissions. According to the New York Times, “A transcription service was hired to transcribe the videos, without being told that Planned Parenthood was the client, to compare with transcripts publicized by the anti-abortion group. That comparison, the analysis said, showed ‘substantive omissions’ in the group’s version. Mr. Simpson was assisted in the analysis by several others, including a video forensics expert, Grant Fredericks, and a television producer, Scott Goldie. According to the investigation, the reviewers could not determine ‘the extent to which C.M.P.’s undisclosed edits and cuts distort the meaning of the encounters the videos purport to document.’” [New York Times, 8/28/15]
Some Videos Had 30 Minutes Missing. According to the New York Times, “For example, Mr. Fredericks said recordings in Houston and Denver were each missing about 30 minutes of video, judging from time stamps and frame counters on the recordings.” [New York Times, 8/28/15]
Analysis Supported Planned Parenthood’s Disputation Of Staffers Saying “It’s A Baby.” According to the New York Times, “The analysis also supported Planned Parenthood’s objection to two allegations that have elicited some of the most outrage from anti-abortion forces, disputing that Planned Parenthood staffers at one point say of fetal remains, ‘It’s a baby,’ and in a second instance, ‘Another boy.’” [New York Times, 8/28/15]
Haley’s PAC Published Book Calling For Department Of Justice To Finish Investigation Of Planned Parenthood. According to a chapter written by Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in American Strength: Conservative Solutions Worth Fighting For, which was published by Haley’s PAC Stand For America, “He or she should instruct the Justice Department to finish their investigation of Planned Parenthood and should work to end experimentation on the bodies of aborted children.” [Stand For America, December 2021]
Haley Declined To State If She Supported The Republican Party Platform “No Exceptions” Stance On Abortion. According to the Fort Myers News-Press, “Republican delegates to the Republican National Convention on Tuesday rubber-stamped their party's 2012 platform, which includes a no-exception stance on abortion […] South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who addressed the subject Tuesday during a visit to the Tampa Convention Center and later in a speech to delegates, thinks women will look past this issue and not be swayed. ‘Women are not one-issue voters; we care about the economy,’ she said. ‘The only people that are saying that the Democrats are the better party for women are Democrats. And they think if they say it enough, we'll believe it, and that's probably about as offensive as it gets.’ Haley didn't say where she stood on the platform, begging off the question by saying she wasn't familiar with what it says.” [Fort Myers News-Press, 8/29/12]
Haley Voted In Favor Of An Amendment That Would Prohibit Women From Being Fired If They Were Observing The 24-Hour Waiting Period As Long As An Ultrasound Was Performed. According to Project Vote Smart, Nikki Haley voted in support of “an amendment to H 3245 that prohibits employers from terminating the employment of a woman who is absent from work due to the mandatory 24-hour waiting period after an ultrasound has been performed to obtain an abortion as proposed by the bill.” The amendment failed by a vote of 60 to 54. [Project Vote Smart, 2/24/09]
Haley Said “Women Don’t Care About Contraception.” According to the Charleston Post & Courier, “All of which is why, when Gov. Nikki Haley said on the talk show ‘The View’ Tuesday that ‘women don’t care about contraception,’ Jackson could hardly believe it. ‘How can she say this, when clearly it’s not true?’ Jackson said.” [Charleston Post & Courier, 4/4/12]
Haley Said “We Care About Contraception.” According to the Charleston Post & Courier, “‘Well ... while we care about contraception, let’s be clear. All we’re saying is, we don’t want government to mandate when we have to have it and when we don’t,’ Haley said. ‘We want to be able to make that decision. We don’t need government making that decision for us.’” [Charleston Post & Courier, 4/4/12]
Haley Said Government Should Not Mandate Contraception Coverage In Insurance Policies. According to a transcript of Haley’s interview on ABC’s Nightline, “CYNTHIA MCFADDEN (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Should insurance companies provide contraception to women? GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY (REP) (SOUTH CAROLINA) I don't think government should mandate that people have to have something within their insurance policy.” [ABC News, 4/3/12]