What Everyone Needs to Know About Joe Heck Before Tonight’s Debate

For Immediate Release: Oct. 17, 2016

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Las Vegas, NV –– Joe Heck has been in the House of Representatives for nearly six years. In that time, Joe Heck has voted to defund Planned Parenthood eight times, voted to criminalize abortion for rape victims, voted to block consideration of equal pay legislation, and for months had “high hopes” that Donald Trump would be our next president.

He also continues to hide his horrible voting record on rape victims, in a desperate attempt to distance himself from Trump. Just this week he released a video that falsely touts him as a champion for sexual assault and domestic violence victims when in reality he has a horrible record when it comes to voting for legislation that would support rape victims.

As a member of the House, Joe Heck has voted against funding to test rape kits and help victims of sexual assault. When he was a state senator, Heck voted against funding for a rape crisis center and domestic violence prevention program. His campaign’s excuse was that hedidn’t have time to read the bill.

Quote from Dawn Laguens, head of Planned Parenthood Votes:

“Joe Heck supported Donald Trump as he bullied, demeaned, and disrespected women on the campaign trail. He said he had “high hopes” about Trump becoming president after he called Mexican immigrants rapists. And Joe Heck stood by Trump after he said that women should be punished for having an abortion. Now Joe Heck is desperately trying to distance himself from Trump, by touting himself as a champion for sexual assault victims --- when nothing could be further from the truth. Joe Heck is not brave, or a champion for women -- he’s a desperate politician trying not to lose. ”

What you need to know about Joe Heck before tonight’s debate:

• Rep. Joe Heck has brought DC Republicans’ extreme agenda to Nevada, defying the American people to voteeight times to block patients from care at Planned Parenthood health centers. [Planned Parenthood Action Fund]

• When the Supreme Court ruled that your boss can determine whether or not you can have access to birth control in the Hobby Lobby decision, Joe Heck called it “reasonable.”[Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/1/14]

• Joe Heck would roll back the progress we’ve made, and doesn’t understand or care about women’s lives. He said his opposition to the ACA's birth control benefit, which ensures that women have access to no-copay birth control, has "nothing to do" with women's health. [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2/13/12]

• Joe Heck cosponsored a bill that would expand the power of employers, insurance providers and hospital corporations to deny coverage of services such as birth control. It could even allow an insurance company to refuse all coverage to LGBTQ patients. [H.R. 1179, introduced3/17/11]

• Joe Heck voted to cut Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps and reduce the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which now ensures over 8 million children across the U.S. are covered by health insurance. [H.R. 6684, Roll Call Vote 644, 12/20/12]

• In Congress, Joe Heck cosponsored dangerous so-called “personhood” legislation that would even outlaw some forms of birth control. [Cosponsors: H.R. 374, 11/2/11]

• More than 137 million Americans, including more than 55 million women, now have access to preventive services — including contraceptive coverage, breast cancer screenings, and well-woman visits — because of the Affordable Care Act. In Nevada alone, there are over 455,000  women who now have preventive services coverage, thanks to the ACA. [U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: The Affordable Care Act is Improving Access to Preventive Services for Millions of Americans, 5/14/15]

• Heck voted to criminalize abortions for rape victims. Heck cosponsored a bill that would ban abortion starting at  20 weeks, with no exception for rape or incest. The bill would criminalize doctors who did not comply with the law. [Cosponsors: H.R. 3803, 1/23/12; Politico7/31/12]

• Heck’s then-campaign manager defended his vote to criminalize abortions for rape and incest victims by saying, “It is universally accepted that most rape victims do not wait five months to seek care.” [Las Vegas Sun, 9/1/13]

• Heck votedto block consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have addressed the gender pay gap. [H. Res. 146, Roll Call Vote 97, 4/12/13]

• Joe Heck has said he has “high hopes” that Trump will become our country’s next president. [Pahrump Valley Times, 6/1/16]

• When he was a state senator, Heck voted against funding for a rape crisis center and domestic violence prevention program. His campaign’s excuse was that hedidn’t have time to read the bill. [Las Vegas Sun, 9/1/13]