New Hampshire Democrats blast DeSantis on abortion amid governor’s visit
Ryan King
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MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Members of the Granite State congressional delegation greeted Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) arrival with a blistering critique of his abortion policies.
On the eve of his visit to New Hampshire, DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act to restrict abortion after an “unborn child has a detectible heartbeat,” typically around six weeks of gestation. The delegation blasted DeSantis for encroaching on women’s rights ahead of his address at the state GOP’s 2023 Amos Tuck Dinner.
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“In the dark of night, Governor Ron DeSantis signed one of the strictest abortion bans in the country to rip away the rights of women to make their own health care decisions. This kind of assault on personal freedom has no place in New Hampshire,” the state’s congressional delegation wrote in a statement.
Despite being signed into law, the policy is in limbo due to ongoing litigation of a prior law imposing a 15-week abortion ban. This new bill features exceptions for rape, incest, and human trafficking.
New Hampshire’s congressional delegation comprises all Democrats. It includes Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, as well as Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas. The Granite State has been pegged as the least religious state in the country by some surveys.
Unlike his past signing of a 15-week abortion ban, which featured a triumphant ceremony at a Spanish-speaking church, DeSantis’s recent signature came under more muted circumstances. DeSantis tweeted a photo of him signing the bill late at night, which reportedly came within roughly 15 minutes of him receiving the bill.
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“Governor DeSantis and the rest of the Republican Party have made clear that, if they gain power, they will force through an extreme agenda that strips medical decisions away from women and their doctors, endangering the safety of millions of women in New Hampshire and across the country,” the delegation added.
DeSantis did not broach the topic of abortion during his wide-ranging, roughly 40-minute speech. He advocated for the Florida legislature to advance anti-abortion legislation during its current session. In the past, he has chided politicians who cower on the issue.
“The people that aren’t supportive of the life cause — they’re not people you want to be in a foxhole with on any other political battle,” DeSantis previously opined about abortion. “They’re the first ones that will sell out to the D.C. establishment when the going gets really, really tough.”
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Marking his most prominent public appearance in New Hampshire of the year, DeSantis’s speech seemingly spurred a record-breaking fundraising bonanza of over $380,000, according to the state party chairman. The Amos Tuck Dinner is the state GOP’s largest annual fundraiser.
The dinner is named after Amos Tuck, a member of Congress in the 1800s whom many credit with founding the Republican Party during the 1850s in Exeter, New Hampshire. New Hampshire is the first primary election on the GOP presidential calendar and the second contest overall following the Iowa caucuses.