Don Bacon was caught red-handed deleting his extreme anti-abortion record from his website in a disingenuous attempt to mislead Nebraskans.
Bacon will do anything to stay in Washington – even mislead voters about his out of touch, dangerous record. But here’s the truth: threetimes, Bacon co-sponsored a national abortion ban with no exception for rape, incest, or the life of the mother that would also effectively ban IVF.
DCCC Spokesperson Mallory Payne:
“Don Bacon’s attempt to rewrite history is just further proof that he’s a self-serving DC politician who is out of step with his district. His repeated support for a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother proves he doesn’t care about Nebraskans, and voters will hold him accountable in November – no matter what part of his record he tries to hide.”
One of the GOP’s most vulnerable incumbent lawmakers, Don Bacon, is feeling the heat on abortion.
In recent days, the Republican congressman from Nebraska quietly deleted the section on his campaign website touting a promise that he “will always fight to defend the right to life.”
The section that disappeared from the site also enumerated Bacon’s perfect ratings from the anti-abortion organizations like the Susan B. Anthony List, National Right to Life, and the Faith and Freedom Coalition, as well as an endorsement from the Nebraska Family Alliance.
Bacon’s efforts to downplay his long-standing positions on abortion illustrate just how politically toxic GOP efforts to restrict women’s reproductive rights have become in the wake of the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade — even in Nebraska.
Bacon is running for reelection in Nebraska’s competitive second district, which includes most of the city of Omaha. It’s a district that President Joe Biden won by 6.6 points in 2020, and one that Bacon only narrowly won reelection to in 2022.
The general election hasn’t gotten underway yet, but Vargas has already sought to draw attention to Bacon’s anti-abortion positions. Last week, the Republican congressman took umbrage at Vargas’ charge that he “supports a nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions, not even for the life of the mother.”
Bacon posted on X that it was a “lie,” adding: “I’ve always defended the life of the mother.”
That is not true: The congressman has previously signed on as co-sponsor of the Life at Conception Act, not once but twice — in 2019 and 2021.
The legislation did not include abortion exceptions of any kind — including rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother. If it were passed, the bill would also end access to in vitro fertilization, or IVF, nationwide. (Bacon has recently said he does not support restrictions on IVF, a sentiment that is in direct conflict with his co-sponsorship of the Life at Conception bill.)
Last month, Bacon was the only vulnerable Republican House member who signed on to a brief urging the Supreme Court to allow states to ban hospitals from providing emergency abortions. Doctors have repeatedly warned that such bans would prevent them from providing standard of care treatment in circumstances where the pregnant woman could die without intervention.
Rolling Stone’s inquiries to both Bacon’s campaign and his congressional office went unanswered.
