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On Wednesday, Senate Republicans voted to block legislation that would ensure access to contraception nationwide, reminding voters that their state government is the last line of defense for reproductive freedom — and that they cannot trust politicians like Kelly Ayotte to protect their rights.
In the U.S. Senate, Ayotte was a leading voice in the effort to pass a national abortion ban, pushed to make it more difficult and expensive for women to access birth control by voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and was an original cosponsor of the Blunt Amendment, which sought to allow employers to deny women access to contraception coverage. Ayotte’s extreme stances in the Senate caused some moderates within her party to “feel marginalized” by her positions on reproductive rights and undoubtedly motivated New Hampshire voters to vote her out of office in 2016.
Following her time in the Senate, Ayotte has only built upon her anti-choice record, including by serving as the “sherpa” for then-Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch in 2017, whose appointment to the Court played a key role in the eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade. Given the troubling track record on reproductive rights of both Ayotte and other Republicans in the state, it’s understandable that some New Hampshire voters are expressing concern that Republicans will pass even more extreme policies if they win the corner office in November.
“Time and time again, Kelly Ayotte has shown voters her extreme views on abortion and Granite Staters’ access to essential reproductive healthcare services,” said NHDP Chair Ray Buckley. “The effort by Senate Republicans to block women’s right to contraception is deeply troubling, and there’s little doubt that it's an effort that Ayotte would’ve wholeheartedly participated in if she were still representing New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate. It’s for that very reason that it’s critical for voters to ensure she never becomes governor.”