Handel, while at the Susan G. Komen
Foundation for breast cancer research, pushed the group to end funding for Planned Parenthood, a women's health organization that provides abortions. The move triggered a huge public controversy, the group reversed its decision and Handel resigned.
The Susan B. Anthony List touts her fight to keep money from Planned Parenthood in its endorsement: "Karen Handel is a strong, articulate pro-life leader," said the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund President. "Karen fearlessly exposed the false roots
of the 'war on women' PR campaign when she called America's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, a bully--and busted the myth that they provide mammograms."
Sept. 11, 2012: Publishes "Planned Bullyhood," a book that largely concerns her tenure at Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia 6th House race
Apr 18, 2017
On Abortion:
I cut ties with Planned Parenthood because I was ordered to
One of the rawest and most emotionally-charged moments of the debate came when the two candidates butted heads on health care. Ossoff said Handel "sees fit to impose her own view on Georgians' health care decisions," and cited her short yet high-profile
tenure as vice president of public policy at the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Handel resigned from the charity in 2012 and later wrote a book called "Planned Bullyhood" about the group's decision to reverse course on its decision to cut ties with
Planned Parenthood because of abortion."She imposed her own views and cut off funding for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood," Ossoff said.
"I have been working on women's health issues for nearly my entire life," Handel responded. "I
will not be lectured by you or anyone else." She said that she was just one of many employees at Komen and that she carried out the decision to cut ties with Planned Parenthood after being instructed to do so by the Komen board.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia House debate
Jun 6, 2017
On Budget & Economy:
Cut spending and reduce regulations
Karen Handel promised to cut spending, repeal Obamacare and reduce regulations when she announced her candidacy in the 6th Congressional
District special election. "I have a record of standing up and fighting the status quo to get things done," Handel said, "and I will take that fight to Washington."
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia 6th House race
Apr 18, 2017
On Families & Children:
Gay relationships are not what God intended
During her 2010 run for governor, Handel said that "as a Christian, marriage is between a man and a woman.
I do not think that gay relationships are--they are not what God intended" and that she also opposed adoption by gay parents.
Source: DailyKos on 2017 Georgia 6th House special election
Apr 19, 2017
On Foreign Policy:
FactCheck: Only $2.2M on USAID pottery in Morocco, not $27M
Handel has started an "Only in Washington" website highlighting government waste. Day 8's item: "Only in Washington would politicians spend $27 million to teach Moroccans how to make pottery. While Morocco is no doubt a lovely place, we have families in
Georgia that are being hurt by high taxes fueling out of control spending. What's worse is that the program was deemed a failure."The facts: In 2009, USAID began a $30 million, four-year plan to help increase the economic competitiveness of Morocco.
A key part of the project included training Moroccans to create pottery to sell domestically as well as internationally. But the pottery program was riddled with problems and its intended focus on women and youths was not fulfilled. Of the $27 million,
the pottery training was only a fraction of the cost--about 8% of the total program. Some may still consider that amount, $2.2 million, a large expense for pottery training and promotion, but it is not close to the $27 million that Handel claimed.
Source: PolitiFact AdWatch on 2014 Georgia Senate debate
Aug 7, 2013
On Foreign Policy:
Join state business mission to China
Governor Sonny Perdue is pleased to announce details of the business mission to the People's Republic of China, March 30-April 5, 2008 that he mentioned in his State of the State speech. After business calls in Shanghai, the Governor will travel to
Beijing to open Georgia's 11th economic development office outside the U.S. Joining Governor Perdue will be Secretary of State Karen Handel, senior officials from the General Assembly, the Department of Economic Development, the University System, and
the Georgia Ports Authority, and business leaders from throughout the state."Our office in Beijing will join our global commerce teams in cities all over the world, making Georgia an even more desirable location for foreign direct investment and
tourism while facilitating the entry of Georgia businesses into foreign markets," said Governor Sonny Perdue.
China was Georgia's third-largest export destination at $1.1 billion in 2006.
Source: Georgia voting records: press release on Mission to China
Jan 18, 2008
On Health Care:
Embrace threat of federal shutdown to defund ObamaCare
Nearly every Republican candidate running for Senate in 2014 backs the GOP's push to use the threat of a government shutdown to defund ObamaCare--a sign of how popular they believe the plan is with conservative primary voters. Those supporting the GOP
strategy include North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis (R), the GOP frontrunner to face Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), who said he supported the GOP's brinkmanship because ObamaCare is a "mortal threat to our economy."Others to embrace the plan include
former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel (R), former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R), who is the likely Republican nominee to run for retiring Sen. Carl Levin's (R-Mich.) seat, and Alaska Tea Party candidate Joe Miller (R).
GOP operatives say there's little downside for candidates to embrace the "defund" movement--especially those who are facing primary opponents. For Senate candidates who aren't already in Congress, especially, there's little political danger.
Source: The Hill on 2014 Georgia Senate debate
Sep 22, 2013
On Health Care:
ObamaCare overreaches, but feds should address healthcare
A candidate who has called for a "full repeal" of the Affordable Care Act--characterizing it as an "overreaching federal program"--once argued in favor of a federal health care solution. David Perdue spoke of the need for a federal solution to the
nation's high uninsured rate in 2006 at a meeting of the Retail Industry Leaders Association: "It's a tragedy that so many people are uninsured," Perdue said, adding that he did not want the issue left to the states: "It needs to be addressed at the
federal level."A spokesman for Perdue's campaign said that there was no conflict in Perdue's previous support for the idea of a federal health care law and his current opposition to ObamaCare. "David supports the full repeal of ObamaCare,"
the spokesman said. "However, he along with many other Republicans recognize that there are issues that must be addressed at the federal level. For example, Georgia Congressman Dr. Tom Price has a great patient-centered alternative to replace ObamaCare."
Source: Huffington Post on 2014 Georgia Senate race
Mar 10, 2014
On Health Care:
ObamaCare canceled my wife's policy & doubled premiums
Perdue has been critical of the health care law throughout his Senate bid. The candidate's website calls it "an overreaching federal program that will actually reduce the quality of health care and increase costs."
In January, Perdue wrote in a blog post that he and his wife's health insurance was canceled and their insurance premium doubled because of the Affordable Care Act.
"We did not have a 'substandard' plan with a second rate company," Perdue wrote. "We had done our research and picked a plan that met our needs.
However, our federal government, in its infinite wisdom, decided that we grandparents needed maternity coverage among other things."
Source: Huffington Post on 2014 Georgia Senate race
Mar 10, 2014
On Immigration:
Immigration bill is 1,000 pages of industry rewards
Handel criticized the Senate bill for rewarding some seemingly random industries in the bill: "The Senate immigration bill is over 1,000 pages long; filled with things like: rewards for au pair agencies, Alaskan seafood processors and Vegas casinos;
and does not even secure the border."Those provisions were part of deals fought for by industry lobbyists and included to garner support for the bill. Whether that classifies them as "rewards" is a matter of opinion, but we rated her statement True.
Source: PolitiFact.com on 2014 Georgia Senate race
Jan 2, 2014
On Immigration:
Ok with 6-country immigration ban, but no religious test
Handel aligned herself with the president when asked about the biggest items on his agenda, but she also indicated she wasn't afraid of disagreeing with him. She backed the Trump's proposal to temporarily block visitors from six primarily
Muslim Middle East nations while homeland security officials revamp their vetting process for foreign visitors, but she said she would not support any sort of "religious litmus test."
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia House debate
Jun 6, 2017
On Principles & Values:
Endorsed by McIntosh County Commissioner before Kingston
The Senate campaign of Jack Kingston challenged an endorsement cited by GOP rival Karen Handel. Kelly Spratt, the chairman of the McIntosh County Commission, said: "While I did actively support Handel's primary bid for governor in 2010, I have not
endorsed her Senate campaign and have in no way given her permission for my name to be used. I fully support Jack Kingston."The Handel campaign responded by releasing two emails from Spratt. Both were written after Kingston joined the race.
The first, dated May 2, said, "I campaigned for Karen in the 2010 election and she carried my county. Please let her know that I will be very happy to help her if she decides to run for the Senate seat."
The second email, dated May 9, assesses
Kingston's strengths and weaknesses: "Kingston is a fence-rider and has no track record of making strong stands. Karen, you and I are both anti-establishment candidates. If you choose to run for Senate, all of your announced opponents are beltway boys."
Source: Atlanta Journal-Const. AdWatch on 2014 Georgia Senate race
Dec 5, 2013
On Principles & Values:
2010: Resigned as Secretary of State to run for Governor
Handel is a former Georgia secretary of state and chair of the Fulton County Commission who has unsuccessfully run for governor and Senate. But in recent years, Handel is probably best known for her time at Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which ended after
her effort to get the organization to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.She's a longtime Georgia politician. She ran for Fulton County Board of Commissioners and lost in 2002, then won a special election in 2003. Next, she became Georgia
secretary of state in 2007, before resigning to run for governor in 2010, losing a Republican primary run-off despite Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney endorsements. She ran for Senate in 2014 and came in third in that primary. One of Handel's Republican
opponents in the 6th District special election used this record against her: "Over the last 15 years, Karen Handel has run six times for five different offices. She didn't even finish the jobs we did give her, always running for the next office."
Source: DailyKos on 2017 Georgia 6th House special election
Apr 19, 2017
On Technology:
Best for government to get out of the way on infrastructure
The first local issues emerged more than 30 minutes into the debate, when the candidates were asked about transportation.
Ossoff said he would be willing to work with Trump to trigger a national renewal of infrastructure. Handel said the federal government worked best on such issues when it gets out of the way.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia House debate
Jun 6, 2017
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023