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FACT CHECK: Sununu Lies About His Record of Defunding Planned Parenthood Sununu’s Falsehood Comes as a New Report Shows that Under Sununu, NH Passed a Record Number of Abortion Restrictions This Year
On The Pulse of NH's Good Morning with Jack Heath, Chris Sununu lied about his anti-choice record and history of voting to defund Planned Parenthood. The truth is that Sununu, the most anti-choice governor in New Hampshire history, attacked women’s health care this year when he signed into law an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or fatal fetal anomaly, mandatory ultrasounds, and felony penalties for doctors. Sununu also tried to hide the fact that he previously bragged about being the deciding vote to defund Planned Parenthood in 2015. SUNUNU’S FALSEHOOD: “Well, look, they've tried to make this false argument on my record, on where I have stood by and fought for these contracts that support women's health and women's choice year after year after year of being governor. And I've done it and Senator Hassan was there when I passed the deciding vote to make sure Planned Parenthood was funded. I mean, she was there, so they know what nonsense that is.” [Good Morning with Jack Heath, 9/7/21] FACT: Under Sununu, New Hampshire Contributed to a Record Number of Abortion Restrictions This Year. “New Hampshire is one of 19 states to enact a total of 106 abortion restrictions in the past year, the most in a single year since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973.” [NH Bulletin, 9/7/21] FACT: Chris Sununu Bragged About Casting the Deciding Vote to Defund Planned Parenthood When He Served on the Executive Council. In 2015 when he was on the Executive Council, Sununu cast the deciding vote to defund Planned Parenthood. [Seacoast Online 1/28/16, Patch 8/7/15] FACT: Chris Sununu Signed An Abortion Ban and Mandatory Ultrasounds into Law. In June, Sununu signed an abortion ban into law that imposes criminal penalties and prison time for doctors and makes no exceptions for rape, incest, or fatal fetal anomaly. [Seacoast Online, 7/1/21] FACT: Chris Sununu Has Supported the Confirmation of Supreme Court Justices Who Now Threaten Reproductive Rights on the National Stage.
In 2017, Sununu signed a letter saying he “applaud[s]” the nomination of Justice Gorsuch and urged the Senate to “swiftly confirm” him. [Republican Governors Association, 3/16/17]
In 2018, Sununu signed another letter saying he stood “in support” of Justice Kavanaugh’s nomination and encouraged the Senate to “move expeditiously” to confirm him. [Concord Monitor, 7/29/18]
In 2020, Sununu refused to stand up to McConnell and oppose the confirmation of Justice Coney Barrett, and encouraged her advancement through the confirmation process on a Facebook Live video. [WMUR, 10/9/20]
FACT: Sununu’s Hand-Picked Executive Council Did Exactly What He Did in 2015: Vote to Defund Planned Parenthood. “Abortion providers in New Hampshire are being stripped of public funding in a move that critics say will hurt health care for Granite Staters. The Executive Council voted Wednesday against family planning contracts for Planned Parenthood, the Lovering Center on the Seacoast and the Equality Health Center in Concord.” [WMUR, 9/15/21] FACT: Sununu Campaigned for the Executive Council Members Knowing Full Well Their Support for Defunding Planned Parenthood.
In October 2020, Sununu told voters to elect Joe Kenney to represent District 1, “I can’t tell you how excited I am that Joe Kenney is in this race…we got to get this guy elected.” [Joe Kenney, Facebook, 10/17/20]
Kenney pledged to defund Planned Parenthood in 2020. [Valley News, 10/15/20]
In 2020, Sununu gave District 3 Executive Councilor Janet Stevens a full-throated endorsement: “Janet is an incredible candidate” and helped raise money for her campaign. [Executive Councilor Janet L. Stevens, Facebook, 10/2/20]
Stevens explicitly pledged her support for defunding Planned Parenthood. [Eagle Tribune, 8/28/20]
Sununu endorsed and campaigned with District 4 Executive Councilor Ted Gatsas in Gatsas’ run for reelection to the Executive Council in 2020. [Chris Sununu, Twitter, 11/3/20]
In 2016, Gatsas opposed state funding for the group and even criticized Sununu for being too pro-Planned Parenthood. [Concord Monitor, 6/28/16]
Sununu said, “New Hampshire needs Dave back on the council now more than ever, and I strongly urge the citizens of Executive Council District 5 to vote for Dave Wheeler.” [WMUR, 8/13/20]
Wheeler voted to defund Planned Parenthood in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2017. [Reuters, 7/8/11, Manchester Ink Link, 8/5/15, WMUR, 6/29/16, Concord Monitor, 11/8/17]
As early as 2012, Wheeler was championed by anti-abortion extremist group as “leading the fight” to defund Planned Parenthood in New Hampshire. [Cornerstone Action PAC, 11/2/12]