Scott Walker and abortion-rights group fight in ads on abortion restrictions
Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) and the Democratic-aligned group EMILY's List are now trading a pair of ads on the issue of abortion and mandatory ultrasounds in this closely watched race.
The subject of the ads, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explains, is a law Walker signed in July 2013: "It required women seeking abortions to get ultrasounds and mandated that doctors performing the procedure must have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of where they do their work." The section on admitting privileges — which would close down two out of the four clinics offering abortion in Wisconsin — is being held up in a court challenge.
The EMILY's List ad features a nurse practitioner who says: "I was outraged when I found out Scott Walker quietly signed a law trying to restrict doctors from performing abortions. Scott Walker wants to make all abortions illegal, even in cases of rape and incest. Look, this is one of the toughest decisions a woman has to make. It's not up to politicians like Scott Walker."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Walker's response ad features the governor himself, talking to the camera, and describing the law as a protection for women: "I'm pro-life. But there's no doubt in my mind the decision of whether or not to end a pregnancy is an agonizing one. That's why I support legislation to increase safety and to provide more information for a woman considering her options. The bill leaves the final decision to a woman and her doctor." --Eric Kleefeld
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Who is paying for Europe’s €90bn EU loan?Today’s Big Question Kyiv secures crucial funding but the EU ‘blinked’ at the chance to strike a bold blow against Russia
-
Quiz of The Week: 13 – 19 DecemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
What’s causing the non-fiction slump?In the Spotlight Readers are turning to crime fiction, romantasy and self-help books as a form of escapism
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats