MADISON, Wis. — Halfway through Women’s History Month, it is a cruel reminder to Wisconsinites that Derrick Van Orden has spent his time in Congress trying to take away women’s personal freedoms. At a time when women across the country are seeing Republicans trying to legislate their bodies, Van Orden has built a long record of supporting extreme anti-abortion rights policies, including opposing exceptions for rape and incest.
“Van Orden has made it his mission to take away health care from Wisconsin women—whether that’s trying to take away their personal freedoms, defunding the ACA, Medicaid, and threatening to withhold Mayo clinic funding, Van Orden is a danger to women across our state,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Philip Shulman. “Derrick Van Orden votes one way and tells his constituents another, a trick he learned from Trump and his GOP cronies. He tries to present himself as a moderate, but Wisconsinites can see through the act. It’s no surprise his acting career didn’t work out—because this performance isn’t convincing.”
See more on Derrick Van Orden’s extreme abortion positions below:
- Derrick Van Orden previously called rape and incest exceptions “evil.”
- Van Orden compared abortion to genocide.
- Van Orden said that he is “ardently pro-life,” called for women to “have enough strength of character” to give birth, and opposed rape and incest exceptions during a radio interview with “WSAU Feedback” in 2020.
- “You can’t heal that evil [sexual assault] by adding more on it,” Van Orden said.
- Derrick Van Orden said he is “unreservedly, unabashedly, and proudly pro life” and opposes abortion because “life begins at conception.”
- Derrick Van Orden was endorsed by leading anti-abortion group Wisconsin Right to Life.
- Derrick Van Orden called for Wisconsin lawmakers to enact a 15-week abortion ban.
