From Katie Baker/Muckraker Consulting:
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Six Questions for Hung Cao After Republicans Defeat Right to Contraception Act in the U.S. Senate In 2022, Cao did not respond when asked how he would vote on the Right to Contraception Act |
| In a stark blow to reproductive rights, Republicans in the U.S. Senate on June 5 defeated the Right to Contraception Act. The legislation, which is co-sponsored by Senator Tim Kaine, would have codified the right to birth control pills, IUDs, emergency contraception, and other contraceptive methods. Despite strong public support from eight out of ten voters and the urgent need to protect Americans’ reproductive freedoms, nearly every Republican senator voted against this critical legislation.
In 2022, during Cao’s failed bid to represent the 10th Congressional district, the Washington Post reported that Cao did not respond to a question as to whether he would have voted for the Right to Contraception Act. Now that he is the official Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Hung Cao must answer the following six questions in the wake of the defeat of the Right to Contraception Act: 1. The Republican party’s opposition to the Right to Contraception Act contradicts the overwhelming public support for contraception rights. How do you reconcile your party’s stance in light of the fact that over 80% of voters, including 68% of Republicans, support legislation protecting the right to contraception? 2. With reproductive rights under threat nationwide, why does your party continue to prioritize ideological agendas over the health care needs and rights of voters, especially considering the clear public support for contraception rights? 3. Given the critical role contraception plays in women’s health and autonomy, what are your thoughts on the Right to Contraception Act, which aimed to safeguard individuals’ rights to make their own health care decisions free from government or political interference? How do you plan to address the concerns and priorities of voters regarding contraception rights if elected? 4. Is it your personal opinion that IUDs or emergency contraception cause abortion, contrary to medical science? With Republican lawmakers and extremist groups spreading such misinformation about contraception, it’s important for voters to understand where you stand. 5. The Right to Contraception Act seeks to codify the constitutional right to contraception, as established by the Supreme Court in Griswold v. Connecticut and Eisenstadt v. Baird. Given Trump’s statement that he is open to restrictions on contraception and Justice Thomas’ call for the Supreme Court to ‘reconsider’ this right, how would you justify your party’s opposition to the Right to Contraception Act, knowing that this right is under threat? 6. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade disregarded decades of established precedent and had devastating effects on reproductive rights and health care access. Now, conservative lawmakers are trying to make the case that contraception isn’t under threat despite the explicit words of Trump and Thomas and the introduction of legislation in multiple states that could ban IUDs and emergency contraception. Given this context, how can you argue that contraception is not under threat, as you did during your Congressional race? |
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