¶ Tim Scott on Abortion
¶ Scott Celebrated The End Of Roe v. Wade
¶ SCOTT PRAISED THE SUPREME COURT DECISION OVERTURNING ROE V. WADE
Scott Called The Supreme Court Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade “Historic.” According to a tweet from Scott’s campaign Twitter, “Every child deserves the precious gift of life. Since Roe v. Wade, more than 55 million Americans have never had the chance to touch our soil and experience that remarkable gift. Today's historic ruling changes that. This outcome is not about pro-choice or pro-life; it is simply about protecting 10 fingers, 10 toes, and 1 beating heart.” [Twitter, @votetimscott, 6/24/22]
Scott Called The Supreme Court Ruling “An Important Step.” According to a press release from Sen. Scott, “U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) released the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. ‘Today, the Supreme Court took an important step to protect the God-given right to life for millions of Americans by returning the power back to the people and the states, where it belongs,’ said Senator Tim Scott. ‘A nation in which abortion is the ‘first and best’ answer for moms in challenging circumstances is a nation that has sacrificed its moral clarity and courage. America’s fundamental promises include the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our support for babies and their mothers re-establishes those shared values that began to erode over the last several decades.’” [Press Release, Tim Scott, 6/24/22]
Scott Praised The Supreme Court Justices Who Overturned Roe For “Their Courage In The Face Of Unprecedented Threats And Violence.” According to a press release from Sen. Scott, “Furthermore, I commend the Justices for their courage in the face of unprecedented threats and violence. Their commitment to the Constitution and refusal to bend to intimidation gives me hope for the future of our nation.” [Press Release, Tim Scott, 6/24/22]
¶ Scott “Thankful” For Being A Part Of Influx Of Judge Appointments That Led To Dobbs Decision
Scott: “This Is The Firewall That America Needs. I Am Thankful That I Was A Part Of Making That Happen.” According to Fox News, “I am so thankful that over the last three or four years we were able to put three hundred federal judges on the bench and three conservative Supreme Court Justices. This is the firewall that America needs. I am thankful that I was a part of making that happen.” [Fox News, 6/25/22]
¶ Scott Dismissed The Detrimental Impact Of Abortion Bans On The Economy
¶ SCOTT CRITICIZED TREASURY SECRETARY YELLEN FOR FRAMING ABORTION AS AN ECONOMIC ISSUE
Yellen: Abortion Bans “Would Have Very Damaging Effects On The Economy And Would Set Women Back Decades.” According to the Associated Press, “Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s appearance before a Senate committee took an unexpected and tense detour into the abortion debate Tuesday when senators questioned her about the potential impact of an abortion ban on the American economy. ‘I believe that eliminating the right of women to make decisions about when and whether to have children would have very damaging effects on the economy and would set women back decades,’ Yellen said in response to a question from Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. He had introduced the topic with a question on how an abortion ban could financially harm women.” [Associated Press, 5/10/22]
Scott Responded Saying “Framing It In The Labor Participation Rate Feels Callous To Me.” According to the Associated Press, “Yellen's answer drew a sharp response from Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who asked her, ‘Did you say that ending the life of a child is good for the labor force participation rate?’ ‘I think people can disagree on the issue of being ‘pro-life’ or ‘pro-abortion’ — but framing it in the labor force participation rate feels callous to me,’ he said, adding that the conversation ‘to me seems harsh.”’ [Associated Press, 5/10/22]
¶ WOMEN DENIED ABORTIONS ARE MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
Report Found Women Who Were Denied Abortions Were More Likely To Encounter Economic Distress. According to CBS News, “Women who are denied abortions are more likely to suffer from financial problems and rely on government aid programs like food stamps and welfare, according to a study that tracked about 1,000 women who sought abortions over a span of several years […] Unpaid debts that were overdue by 30 days or more doubled in size, and the rate of evictions, bankruptcies and other negative financial events increased substantially for women who were denied an abortion, the analysis found. The negative effects lasted as long as four years after the woman gave birth, they noted.” [CBS News, 5/9/22]
¶ Scott Has Stood Against Roe v. Wade
¶ SCOTT SIGNED A BRIEF URGING THE SUPREME COURT TO RECONSIDER THE PRECEDENT SET IN ROE V. WADE
Scott Signed On To Friend Of Court Brief Urging The Supreme Court To Reconsider, And Maybe Overrule, Roe. According to CNN, “More than 200 members of Congress are urging the Supreme Court to reconsider – if not overrule – the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide. Thirty-nine Republican senators and 168 members of the House of Representatives, almost all of them Republicans, signed a so-called ‘friend of the court’ brief filed on Thursday by the national anti-abortion group Americans United for Life in connection with a challenge to a Louisiana abortion access law due to be heard in March. The signers include Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Mike Lee and Mitt Romney of Utah, and Tim Scott of South Carolina as well as Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Steve Chabot of Ohio. […] The brief argues that ‘Roe’s jurisprudence has been haphazard from the beginning.’ The decision ‘remains a radically unsettled precedent’ that ‘has been substantially undermined by subsequent authority,’ the group continues, adding that court rulings since Roe ‘clearly did not settle the abortion issue.’ The group urges the justices to ‘reconsider those precedents.’” [CNN, 1/2/20]
¶ Scott Supported Banning Abortion After 20 Weeks Of Pregnancy
¶ SCOTT CO-SPONSORED LEGISLATION TO BAN ABORTION BEYOND 20 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY
Scott Co-Sponsored The “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” According to Congress.gov, Scott co-sponsored S. 61, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would establish, “a new criminal offense for performing or attempting to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus is 20 weeks or more.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
¶ Scott Co-Sponsored This Piece Of Legislation In Other Congresses
2019: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
2017: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
2015: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
2013: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
¶ ACLU CALLED THE LEGISLATION “EXTREME AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL”
ACLU: The 20-Week Abortion Ban Is “Extreme And Unconstitutional.” According to a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union addressing the House’s version of the 2017 Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, “On behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and our more than two million members and supporters, we urge you to vote NO on H.R. 36, an extreme and unconstitutional nationwide pre-viability ban on abortion. We oppose H.R. 36 because it interferes with a woman’s most personal medical decisions and violates fundamental constitutional principles.” [American Civil Liberties Union, 10/2/17]
¶ Scott Opposed Biden-Era Efforts To Restore Title X Funding To Providers
¶ THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IMPLEMENTED A TITLE X GAG RULE
July 16, 2019: The Trump Administration Began Enforcing Abortion "Gag Rule." According to Politico, “The Trump administration's decision to immediately bar family planning funds to groups, like Planned Parenthood, that perform or refer women for abortion could force some states and organizations to abandon the federal program that pays for contraception for low-income women. The administration said it will move forward with its new family planning overhaul, which critics deride as an abortion ‘gag rule,’ as it faces ongoing legal challenges from nearly two dozen states and organizations, including Planned Parenthood, the largest single recipient of funding in the program, known as Title X.” [Politico, 7/16/19]
¶ Title X Was The Nation’s Public Family Planning Program
Title X Was The Nation’s Public Family Planning Program That Provided Birth Control Services, STI Testing, And Treatment. According to the Guttmacher Institute, “Title X is the nation’s public family planning program, serving millions of patients who seek birth control services, STI testing and treatment, and related preventive care. The program was established as part of the Public Health Service Act in 1970 with the express intent of addressing inequities in access to contraceptives and related services, helping patients advance their right to exercise power over their own reproductive decisions. For half a century, Title X has funded a long-standing and trusted network of providers throughout the country, providing these critical services to patients who are low income, uninsured, young or otherwise underserved.” [Guttmacher Institute, 2/5/20]
¶ The Gag Rule Stated That Title X Grant Funding Cannot Go To Clinicians That Discuss Abortion With Patients-Even If Those Patients Ask
The Rule State That Title X Grant Funding Cannot Go To Clinicians That Discuss Abortion With Patients. According to Planned Parenthood Action, “The gag rule says Title X grants can’t go to clinicians who tell their patients how they can safely and legally access abortion (even if patients ask and even if a pregnancy threatens their health). The gag rule also takes grants away from health centers that separately provide abortion — like Planned Parenthood.” [Planned Parenthood Action, Accessed 3/19/20]
Clinics Were Barred From Referring Patients To An Abortion Provider But Required To Refer Them For Prenatal Care, Regardless Of A Patient’s Wishes. According to Politico, “Clinics will now be barred from referring patients to an abortion provider but required to refer them for prenatal care, regardless of a patient's wishes. Clinics have always been banned from using Title X money for abortions, but the Trump administration argued greater separation was needed to prevent the intermingling of funds. Now, numerous state health agencies administering Title X funds, including some that are their state's lone recipient of program dollars, must decide whether to go forward with previous suggestions that they'd withdraw from Title X if the Trump rules took effect. Millions of dollars are on the line.” [Politico, 7/16/19]
¶ Under The New Rules, Faith Based Groups Were Eligible For Federal Funding
However, Under The Rules Faith Based Groups That Oppose Abortion And Hormonal Birth Control Were Eligible For Federal Funding. According to Politico, “Faith-based groups that oppose abortion and hormonal birth control are also now eligible for funding under the rules. Earlier this year, the religiously affiliated clinic network Obria was awarded a three-year, $5.1 million grant in California. Although the group will only offer ‘natural’ family planning counseling such as abstinence and the rhythm method, it still must subcontract with clinics that provide other forms of contraception.” [Politico, 7/16/19]
¶ TRUMP’S TITLE X GAG RULE LEFT COMMUNITIES WITH A MASSIVE FEDERALLY FUNDED FAMILY PLANNING PROVIDER GAP
Planned Parenthood, Which Served More Than 40 Percent Of U.S. Title X Patients Chose To Reject Funding Due To Restrictions, Leaving Large Parts Of The Country Without A Federally Funded Family Planning Provider. According to Politico, “Planned Parenthood, which serves more than 40 percent of the nation's Title X patients, confirmed Monday night it won't comply with the new rules. The group said Its clinics will start using their own emergency funds while it continues to fight the administration in court. Planned Parenthood, which still gets significant funding from Medicaid, has long been the only Title X funding recipient in Utah, and it covers a large portion of the population in several other states. Its exit from the program could leave parts of the country without a federally funded family planning provider.” [Politico, 7/16/19]
¶ Without Planned Parenthood Clinics Supported By Title X, Other Title X Supported Sites Would Need To Increase Capabilities
Without Planned Parenthood Clinics Supported By Title X, Other Types Of Title X-Supported Sites Would Have Had to Increase Their Contraceptive Client Caseloads By 70 Percent. According to the Guttmacher Institute, “Without Planned Parenthood clinics supported by Title X, other types of Title X–supported sites would need to increase their contraceptive client caseloads by an average of 70%. This poses massive challenges for the rest of the safety-net family planning provider network.” [Guttmacher Institute, 8/29/19]
Other Title X Sites Were Not Readily Able To Replace Title X – Funded Planned Parenthood Health Centers.
[Guttmacher Institute, 8/29/19]
¶ The Trump Administration’s Domestic Gag Rule Slashed The Title X Network’s Capacity By Half
Guttmacher Institute: Trump’s Domestic ‘Gag Rule’ Slashed The Title X National Family Planning Network’s Patient Capacity In Half, Impacting 1.6 Million Female Patients Nationwide. According to the Guttmacher Institute, “New data from the Guttmacher Institute show that the Trump administration’s domestic “gag rule” has slashed the Title X national family planning network’s patient capacity in half, jeopardizing care for 1.6 million female patients nationwide […] Based on data available for 910 of those 981 sites, we estimate that these changes reduced the network’s capacity to provide women with contraceptive services by at least 46%, translating to roughly 1.6 million patients. In other words, the impact of the gag rule on the network’s capacity is much greater than it might appear when looking at clinic numbers alone, because the gag rule intentionally targeted clinics specializing in reproductive health care services, sites that also serve the highest volume of contraceptive patients.” [Guttmacher Institute, 2/5/20]
Trump’s Domestic Gag Rule Reduced The Title X Network’s Capacity By Nearly Half Nationwide And By Much More In Many States.
[Guttmacher Institute, 2/5/20]
¶ BIDEN UNDID THE DOMESTIC GAG RULE
October 4, 2021: The Biden Administration Announced It Would Official Reverse Trump’s Domestic Gag Rule, Effective November 2021. According to NBC News, “The Biden administration on Monday formally reversed a Trump-era rule that barred reproductive health care clinics that provide abortion referrals and services from receiving federal funds. The new rule, which will go into effect Nov. 8, paves the way for major providers like Planned Parenthood to rejoin Title X, the federal family planning program created nearly 50 years ago to fill in gaps in health care access and affordability, particularly for those living in rural or otherwise underserved areas.” [NBC News, 10/4/21]
¶ SCOTT SUPPORTED LEGISLATION TO UNDO BIDEN’S ACTION
Scott Supported Legislative Action To Undo Biden’s Rule On Title X. According to a press release from Sen. Kevin Cramer, “U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and 30 Senate Republicans in introducing a joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the Biden Administration’s 2021 Final Rule on the Title X Family Planning Program, which reversed the Trump Administration’s 2019 ban on federal funding to entities who provide abortion referrals to pregnant mothers. […] Senators Cramer and Rubio were joined by Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Boozman (R-AR), John Thune (R-SD), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Braun (R-IN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Rick Scott (R-FL), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), James Lankford (R-OK), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Kennedy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). ” [Sen. Kevin Cramer, 3/18/22]
¶ Scott Supported Dangerous “Born-Alive” Legislation
¶ SCOTT CO-SPONSORED SO-CALLED “BORN-ALIVE” LEGISLATION
2021: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.” According to Congress.gov, Scott co-sponsored the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” which would establish, “requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
¶ Scott Co-Sponsored This Same Bill In Previous Congresses
2019: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
2017: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
2015: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
¶ “BORN-ALIVE” LEGISLATION WOULD UNNECESSARILY CRIMINALIZE DOCTORS
Vox: “Reproductive Rights And Physician Groups Say The Bill Could Criminalize Doctors And Is Unnecessary.” According to Vox, “The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday is hearing testimony on a bill that would put in place requirements for the care of infants born after failed abortions — and could send doctors to prison if they fail to comply […] But reproductive rights and physician groups say the bill could criminalize doctors and is unnecessary — not only because a live birth after an abortion attempt is an extremely unlikely scenario but also because laws already exist to protect an infant in this instance anyway. ‘The bill maligns and vilifies providers and patients to push a false narrative about abortion later in pregnancy,’ Dr. Kristyn Brandi, a board member of Physicians for Reproductive Health, told Vox in an email last year.” [Vox, 2/25/19]
Abortions Later In Pregnancy Are Very Rare, And Are Not Requested By Patients In Labors. According to Vox, “Abortions in the third trimester are very rare: Just 1.4 percent of all abortions take place at 21 weeks or beyond, according to Planned Parenthood. The situation described in the Virginia committee hearing simply doesn’t come up, Brandi said — ‘patients do not request abortion when they are in labor and doctors do not provide it.’” [Vox, 2/25/19]
Protections Exist For Babies Born After An Attempted Abortion. According to Vox, “Even if a child were to be born after an abortion attempt, she said, laws already exist to protect the baby. In 2002, Congress passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which guaranteed full legal rights to infants born at any stage of development. That bill, which passed with bipartisan support, did not include criminal penalties for doctors and did not impose specific requirements on medical care.” [Vox, 2/25/19]
¶ Scott Backed Legislation To Keep Young People From Accessing Abortion
¶ SCOTT CO-SPONSORED A “CHILD INTERSTATE ABORTION NOTIFICATION” BILL
2021: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.” According to Congress.gov, Scott co-sponsored the “Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act,” which would make “it a crime to knowingly transport a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion without satisfying the requirements of a parental involvement law in the minor's resident state.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
¶ Scott Co-Sponsored Versions Of This Bill In Previous Congresses
2019: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
2017: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
2013: Scott Co-Sponsored The “Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.” [Congress.gov, accessed 5/11/22]
¶ Scott Supported Efforts To “Defund” And Antagonize Planned Parenthood
¶ SCOTT SUPPORTED COURT BRIEF TO DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Scott Signed On To Court Brief Supporting The Defunding Of Planned Parenthood In South Carolina. According to a press release from Rep. Jeff Duncan, “Washington, D.C. Congressman Jeff Duncan, Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Tim Scott, and Congressman Ralph Norman, along with 133 other Members of Congress, filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of states' authority to choose Medicaid providers and defund Planned Parenthood. […] ‘The intent of Congress has been to give states flexibility in deciding who is qualified to provide Medicaid services. The people of South Carolina do not want their taxpayer dollars going to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood, and that should be respected,’ said Senator Tim Scott.” [Rep. Jeff Duncan, 4/29/20]
¶ SCOTT SUPPORTED DEFUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD AND REPEALING OBAMACARE
(VIDEO) Scott Advocated For Repealing Obamacare And Defunding Planned Parenthood. According to CNN, “SCOTT: The truth is if we were to eliminate all funding for Planned Parenthood, as an example, we’d save around 300 million dollars for the taxpayers. […] We are making positive steps in the right direction as it relates to repealing Obamacare. […] We are looking to want to protect the sacred relationship between a patient and a doctor.” [CNN, 1/21/11]