Sununu Repeats False and Inflammatory National Rhetoric in Attempt to Distract Voters from His Anti-abortion Record

CONCORD - On Tuesday, Governor Chris Sununu repeated erroneous talking points regarding abortion later in pregnancy on a local radio program.

Statement from Kayla Montgomery, Vice President of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund:

“This inflammatory and false rhetoric is used to try to distract voters from anti-abortion politicians’ abysmal reproductive health records by peddling falsehoods about abortion care later in pregnancy. No one is okay with abortion ‘up until the moment of birth’ because it simply doesn’t exist - that’s not how medicine, science, or pregnancy works.

When abortion is needed later in pregnancy it’s due to complex situations like the health of the woman or the fetus. We know this because families in these complicated circumstances have been forced to bear their scars and relive their trauma in an effort to amend Chris Sununu’s cruel abortion ban - which he signed into law without any exceptions for rape, incest, or fatal fetal diagnoses. The real question is, what is the next abortion restriction that Sununu is willing to sign as part of a state budget?

Every pregnancy is unique and one-size-fits-all abortion bans like New Hampshire’s simply cannot account for every individual situation. We will always fight to ensure Granite Staters have access to the health care they need–including safe, legal abortion–without government interference because that’s the New Hampshire way.”

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BACKGROUND:

Personal Stories:

Abortion Later in Pregnancy:

First and foremost, it is important to emphasize we use “abortion later in pregnancy” because it is medically accurate. The term “late term abortion” is made up inflammatory political language from abortion opponents; it is not medically accurate and is not used by medical professionals
Abortions at or after 21 weeks are uncommon, and represent 1% of all abortions in the U.S.
Individuals seek abortion later in pregnancy due to medical concerns such as fetal anomalies or maternal life endangerment, as well as barriers to care that cause delays in obtaining an abortion.

New Hampshire’s 24-Week Abortion Ban:

New Hampshire’s abortion ban is extreme for many reasons. It has no exceptions for rape or incest; and it has a very narrow exception for maternal physical health. When it was signed into law by Governor Sununu, it required ultrasounds prior to all abortion care - at every stage of pregnancy - and did not include an exception for fatal fetal diagnoses.
Additionally, this abortion ban criminalizes health care providers with a class B felony which could come with up to seven years in prison and a fine up to $100,000, allows husbands to file civil actions, and allows the patient’s parents to file civil actions.
There are no other medical procedures in New Hampshire law subject to felony charges and imprisonment for health care professionals.
Nearly 200 New Hampshire medical providers opposed this bill during the legislative process.

Sununu’s Attacks on Reproductive Health Care:

In 2015, then Executive Councilor Chris Sununu cast the deciding vote to defund Planned Parenthood health centers in New Hampshire, jeopardizing access to family planning care for thousands of Granite Staters.
In 2016, when Sununu ran for governor in a contentious primary, he laid out steps he would take to restrict abortion access in NH once elected.
In 2018, Sununu put his full support behind Justice Kavanaugh. Because of his appointment to SCOTUS - which led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade - the states that are banning or deeply restricting abortion access continues to rise, and it’s very likely that soon 26 states - which is the equivalent of 36 million, or half, of all women of reproductive age - will lose access to safe, legal abortion.
In 2020, Sununu vetoed the Reproductive Health Parity Act, which would have removed financial barriers for people seeking access to abortion.
As Governor, Sununu signed a budget that underfunded the Family Planning Program and silently watched his Republican colleagues gut that program by rejecting contracts with three reproductive health providers, including PPNNE.
On June 25, 2021, Sununu signed New Hampshire’s first abortion ban in modern history into law. Sununu’s abortion ban criminalized doctors, required forced ultrasounds for all people seeking abortion care, and failed to make exemptions for rape, incest, or fatal fetal diagnoses.

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Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund (PPNHAF) is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in New Hampshire. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including voter education, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy.