MADISON — Ron Johnson is desperately trying to hide his out-of-touch record on reproductive freedom, including his support for an extreme abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. He’s stood by his comments telling Wisconsin women they “can move” if they disagree with the state’s 1849 abortion ban, applauded the overturning of Roe v. Wade as a “victory,” and backed a personhood bill that would ban abortion in all cases.

Johnson has repeatedly supported national abortion bans and legislation that would punish doctors: 

  • Wisconsin State Journal: “Record contradicts Ron Johnson statement that he always supported abortion exceptions”
    • Ron Johnson co-sponsored a personhood bill that declared life began at “fertilization” — essentially making abortion murder in all cases — with no exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother.
  • Johnson signed an amicus brief defending Mississippi’s abortion ban that had no exceptions for rape or incest. 
    • Kaiser Family Foundation: “In 2018, Mississippi enacted HB 1510, the Gestational Age Act, which bans all abortions after 15 weeks since the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP) except in medical emergencies and in cases of severe fetal abnormality, and without an exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.” 
  • Johnson has also cosponsored SEVEN versions of Lindsey Graham’s national abortion ban that also criminalizes doctors for performing abortions. 
    • Johnson co-sponsored the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act seven times: 
      • S. 1670, 113th Congress, Introduced 11/7/13, Cosponsored11/7/13
      • S. 1553, 114th Congress, Introduced 6/11/15, Cosponsored6/11/15
      • S. 1922, 115th Congress, Introduced 10/05/17, Cosponsored 10/05/17
      • S. 2311, 115th Congress, Introduced 1/16/18, Cosponsored1/16/18
      • S. 160, 116th Congress, Introduced 1/16/19, Cosponsored1/16/19
      • S. 3275, 116th Congress, Introduced 2/11/20, Cosponsored 2/11/20
      • S. 61, 117th Congress, Introduced 1/17/21, Cosponsored,1/17/21
    • The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is a federal abortion ban that would throw doctors in jail for performing an abortion
  • Johnson has a long history of confirming judges that are staunchly opposed to reproductive freedom, including abortion and contraception access.
     
  • Associated Press: “Johnson recently said that questions about Wisconsin’s abortion ban should be decided by a statewide vote, but when Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed a way to do that, Johnson balked.” 

Johnson’s lies about Lt. Governor Barnes’ stance on abortion have been debunked:

  • Politifact“[Barnes] wants to codify Roe v. Wade, which federally protected the right to the procedure until June 24, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it. Seeking to make Roe the law of the land is not the same as supporting abortion up until birth. Even when Roe was in place, it didn’t greenlight abortion at any time during a pregnancy. It included a viability restriction, asserting that states couldn’t impose significant restrictions on abortion access before the fetus became viable — usually around 24 weeks’ gestational age.”
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