From Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07)’s reelection campaign:
NEW: Amanda Chase Announces Plan to Introduce Total Abortion Ban in Richmond that Yesli Vega Promised to Cosponsor in Washington
At the Federal Level, the “Life at Conception Act” Would Outlaw Abortion Across the Country with No Exceptions
In a Survey Earlier This Year, Prince William County Supervisor and Former Police Officer Yesli Vega Made Clear that She Would Support the “Life at Conception Act”
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – In the upcoming Virginia legislative session — January 2023 — Virginia State Sen. Amanda Chase plans to introduce the Life at Conception Act — a bill that mirrors federal legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bob Good (R-VA-05) in the U.S. House of Representatives — and the same bill Yesli Vega promised to cosponsor if elected to Congress.
In a video posted on Facebook on Sunday, October 30, Chase says: “The unborn child is a human person from the moment of conception. Abortion was never mentioned in the United States Constitution. But you know what was, and that’s protection for the right to life.”
“This coming January 2023, in the Senate of Virginia, I will be introducing – in the Senate of Virginia – the Life Begins at Conception Act,” said Chase. “This legislation is the same legislation that conservative Bob Good has introduced in Congress.”
The Life at Conception Act, Chase continued, guarantees “protection of the born and the pre-born under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.”
(“Amanda Chase Virginia Senator” Facebook post, October 30, 2022)
The Life at Conception Act Chase plans to introduce mirrors legislation that Yesli Vega promised to support and cosponsor if elected to Congress — according to a recent report from NBC4 Washington.
(Screengrab from NBC4 Washington, September 14, 2022)
(Screengrab from NBC4 Washington, September 14, 2022)
After earning the endorsement from the National Pro-Life Alliance earlier this year, Yesli Vega told her supporters in a fundraising email that she answered the survey “100% in support of life.”
Question 9 of the survey asks for support and cosponsorship of the Life at Conception Act – a bill introduced in May 2021 that would outlaw all abortions with no exceptions. Vega agrees to support a law that defines life at the moment of conception – thereby banning a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion even in cases where her life is threatened.
“My opponent has promised to vote to ban abortion — with no exceptions — in Virginia and across the country. That’s out-of-touch with the majority of Virginians, and it’s dangerous,” said Spanberger. “Virginians are well aware of Senator Chase’s extreme agenda, rhetoric, and allies. This is a coordinated attack against the rights of women across Virginia, and Yesli Vega is not only complicit — she is a part of it.”
BACKGROUND
Yesli Vega doubted the likelihood that women who are raped can become pregnant, and made clear in endorsement questionnaires that she supports a nationwide ban on abortion. In audio uncovered by a local news outlet, Vega said only God – not a doctor or healthcare provider – can determine the life of the mother.
Vega welcomed the endorsement from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a fervently anti-choice group that seeks to “end abortion,” restrict abortion exceptions for rape and incest, and oppose a woman’s right to access IUDs and the morning-after pill.
Spanberger is the only pro-choice, pro-marriage equality, and pro-privacy candidate in the race for Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District.
Spanberger has been a vocal advocate for safeguarding the rights of all Virginians. Spanberger has voted with a majority in the U.S. House to protect the rights to contraception, same-sex marriage, interstate travel for reproductive care, and twice to codify Roe v. Wade.
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