Russ Fulcher on Abortion

Life begins at conception; adoption instead of abortion

A: Strongly Agree

Q: Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.

A: Strongly Agree

Q: Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?

A: None. I believe that we should help the mother during pregnancy, and the mother and her child after pregnancy. I work with pro-life women's health centers to ensure that happens. I also believe that, if absolutely necessary, we should default to adoption to prevent abortion.

Make providing unlicensed abortions a felony, with jail time

• Records of judicial proceedings regarding a minor's consent to an abortion are exempt from disclosure.
• An unlicensed person who knowingly provides any drug to any woman, or uses any instrument upon any then-pregnant woman with intent to cause an abortion, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for 2 to 5 years.

Require parental consent for underage abortions

OnTheIssues Interpretation: Prior law allowed for a minor to petition a court for judicial authorization for an abortion, without parental consent. This new law removes that clause, meaning that minors must get parental consent for an abortion.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 23-12-0 on Feb. 26; Sen. Russ Fulcher voted AYE; passed House 53-14-3 on March 16; signed by Gov. Otter on March 27.

Pro-life, according to PVS survey.

Project Vote Smart inferred whether candidates agree or disagree with the statement, 'Abortion: Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?' PVS self-description: "The Political Courage Test provides voters with positions on key issues. Historically, candidates have failed to complete our test due to the advice they receive from their advisors and out of fear of negative attack ads."

Sponsored bill to protect infant survivors of abortion.

S.311/H.R.962: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act: Congress finds the following:

• If an abortion results in the live birth of an infant, the infant is a legal person for all purposes under the laws of the United States, and entitled to all the protections of such laws.
• (2) Any infant born alive after an abortion or within a hospital, clinic, or other facility has the same claim to the protection of the law that would arise for any newborn, or for any person who comes to a hospital, clinic, or other facility for screening and treatment or otherwise becomes a patient within its care.
• In the case of an attempted abortion that results in a child born alive, any health care practitioner present at the time the child is born alive shall exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age.

Opposing argument from Rewire.com, "Born Alive Propaganda," by Calla Hales, 4/12/2019: From restrictive bans at various points of pregnancy to a proposed death penalty for seeking care, both federal and state legislators are taking aim at abortion rights. The goal? To make abortion illegal, criminalizing patients and providers in the process. One kind of bill making a recent resurgence is the "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act." These bills aim to further the false narrative that abortions regularly occur immediately before or, according to the president, at the time of birth. Intentional action to end the life of an infant is already illegal. This is covered by federal and state infanticide laws. These bills do nothing but vilify physicians who provide reproductive health care.

Legislative outcome Referred to Committee in House; Senate motion to proceed rejected, 56-41-3 (60 required).