October 25, 2022

PRESS

RELEASE: Anti-Abortion Extremist Joni “Defund Planned Parenthood” Ernst Joins Tiffany Smiley on Campaign Trail in WA

Ernst cosponsored legislation to ban abortion nationwide; Earlier this year, Joni Ernst blocked Patty Murray’s bills to expand access to family planning services and birth control

Ernst says she has “always fought to defund Planned Parenthood… and I’m not stopping anytime soon”; Tiffany Smiley’s previous social media activity shows she also supported defunding Planned Parenthood

ICYMI: If You Campaign with Anti-Abortion Extremists, and Talk Like Anti-Abortion Extremists…

(Seattle, WA) — Tiffany Smiley has tried to claim she isn’t like her fellow MAGA candidates with extreme anti-abortion views. But with just two weeks to go before the general election, Smiley is bringing one of the nation’s leading anti-abortion extremists, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), to Washington to campaign with her.

Joni Ernst, who endorsed Tiffany Smiley’s campaign early on, is one of the most vehement anti-abortion legislators in the country. Ernst has cosponsored legislation to ban abortion nationwide, and she called the overturning of Roe v. Wade a “huge victory” — and she’s also been a forceful advocate for defunding Planned Parenthood. Ernst repeatedly introduced legislation to prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding and said she has “always fought to defund Planned Parenthood… and I’m not stopping anytime soon.” Ernst has an A+ rating from the anti-abortion advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and she is also reportedly planning to introduce a so-called federal “heartbeat” bill which would ban abortion nationwide before many people even know they’re pregnant.

And, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Senator Patty Murray sought to advance two pieces of common-sense legislation that would expand access to historically bipartisan family planning services and to protect women’s basic right to use birth control — Joni Ernst blocked both bills from advancing to the Senate floor.

“We aren’t sure if Tiffany Smiley could make it any more apparent to voters just how cozy she is with anti-abortion extremists from Joni Ernst to Mike Pence — this tells us all we need to know about how she’d actually vote in the Senate,” said Washington State Democratic Party spokesperson Caitlin Harrington. “Tiffany Smiley is trying to gaslight Washingtonians into thinking that abortion isn’t an issue in this race — but what she does, and who she campaigns with, shows exactly what her misleading TV ads are trying to hide.”

TIFFANY SMILEY’S LONG, DOCUMENTED ANTI-CHOICE RECORD:

  • Tiffany Smiley is, in her own words, “100 percent pro-life.

  • Tiffany Smiley expressed support for a national abortion ban – and even for defunding Planned Parenthood — before she started running for Senate.

  • Smiley cheered the decision that overturned Roe and allowed states to ban abortion with no exceptions.

  • At the start of her campaign, Tiffany Smiley endorsed the Texas abortion ban, one of the most extreme in the nation with no exceptions for rape or incest — even while admitting “there’s a lot of parts of it that make it hard for me in Washington state.

  • In September, her campaign reiterated her “respect” for the extreme Texas law.

  • Smiley refused to say – after being repeatedly asked – whether she supports abortion exceptions for rape and incest.

  • Tiffany Smiley is raising money from, campaigning with, and collecting endorsements from anti-abortion politicians who are committed to passing a national abortion ban, including those working to ban abortion in Washington state.

  • Tiffany Smiley’s first vote would be to make Mitch McConnell Senate majority leader — and Republicans have already introduced and suggested they would bring to the floor legislation to ban abortion nationwide and impose criminal penalties on Americans.

OTHER ANTI-ABORTION EXTREMISTS ALSO LOVE TIFFANY SMILEY

  • Another early endorsement for Smiley came from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) who is proudly anti-abortion and questioned the constitutionality of birth control.

  • Washington State House Rep. Jesse Young, who sponsored a bill to make abortion a felony in Washington, stumped with Tiffany Smiley, and heaped praise on her at a campaign event in Bremerton.

  • Former State Rep. Luanne Van Werven, who introduced legislation to ban abortion after 20 weeks in Washington state with no exceptions for rape or incest, recently campaigned alongside Smiley in support of her candidacy.

  • Joe Kent gushed over Tiffany Smiley at a recent campaign event, calling Smiley “pure MAGA”.; Kent has called called abortion “an evil stain on our humanity”.

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