Scott Walker Responds to Prolife Criticism

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker responds to prolife criticism after his interview on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.

This afternoon he sent an open letter reaffirming his prolife stance.

Life is a value I learned from my parents, and it’s a value I have cherished every day, predating my time in politics. My policies throughout my career have earned a 100% rating with pro-life groups in Wisconsin. Just in my first term I signed numerous pieces of pro-life legislation and I will continue working for every life.

In my past four years as governor, we have made substantial progress in the fight for our pro-life values in Wisconsin. We defunded Planned Parenthood. We prohibited abortion from being covered by health plans in a health exchange. We passed legislation assuring the women and their unborn child are better protected under law – through placing stringent requirements on medical professionals and requiring the provision of thorough and vital information to the mother.

As the Wisconsin legislature moves forward in the coming session, further protections for mother and child are likely to come to my desk in the form of a bill to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks. I will sign that bill when it gets to my desk and support similar legislation on the federal level.  I was raised to believe in the sanctity of life and I will always fight to protect it.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony List,  lauded his support for a late-term abortion bill being debated in the Wisconsin Legislature.

“Governor Walker is making his pro-life convictions concrete in his presidential platform.  His commitment to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in Wisconsin and nationally is the best first step for a pro-life candidate and one that is embraced by the nation. This popular legislation has been endorsed by almost every Republican hopeful for 2016. The only likely candidate who has not yet endorsed the measure is Governor Chris Christie. We encourage him to back up his strong statements at CPAC last week by taking this concrete action,” Dannenfelser stated.

Americans are united in their desire to see the United States removed from the list of only seven nations to permit abortion after 20 weeks, almost six months. This is past the point when the unborn child can feel pain,” she added. “While we fight for a federal law banning these brutal abortions, states are taking action. West Virginia is on the way to becoming the 14^th state to pass a five month abortion limit. West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin shamefully vetoed the Pain-Capable bill this morning after it had passed the legislature with bipartisan support. The legislation is so popular that the governor’s veto is almost certain to be overridden.”

A November 2014 poll from Quinnipiac found that 60 percent of Americans, including 56 percent of Independents and 46 percent of Democrats, support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act previously passed the House in 2013 by a 228-196 vote.  To date, 13 states have enacted Pain-Capable laws. In addition to West Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin are also expected to advance Pain-Capable legislation this year.

You can read a copy of the original letter below: