Pappas and Shaheen sound alarm on reproductive rights, while Prescott attempts to reframe record

Congressman Chris Pappas joined US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Granite State women and advocates in Exeter this week for a roundtable discussion on the critical stakes of this year’s election for reproductive rights.

Pappas highlighted the personal stakes of this election for New Hampshire voters, pointing to national proposals that threaten to curtail reproductive freedoms across the country.

“This is about freedom versus control,” Pappas said. “The people who brought us the Dobbs decision and are pushing for national abortion bans want the government to control people’s personal lives. Here in New Hampshire, we believe that government should get out of the way and leave these choices to women, families, and doctors. That’s what’s at stake in this election.”

Shaheen echoed Pappas’ concerns, speaking on how recent Supreme Court decisions have rolled back rights that she and others had taken for granted. 

“Now, my daughters and granddaughters have fewer freedoms than we had at their age,” Shaheen said. “Chris Pappas has been a steadfast ally in Congress, always standing up for women’s health care and reproductive rights. This is the Live Free or Die state, and our values mean that these decisions should remain in the hands of women and families.”

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The roundtable discussion, which featured State Sen. Debra Altschiller, State Rep. Alexis Simpson, and advocate Stefany Shaheen, called attention to the urgency of legislative protections like the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore nationwide abortion rights. The group highlighted the importance of sending pro-choice candidates to Washington to uphold Granite Staters’ autonomy and to resist federal overreach on reproductive issues.

With the clock ticking down to Election Day, Pappas has joined other New Hampshire Democrats in doubling down on his commitment to advocating for choice and opposing abortion restrictions at the state and national level, a stance resonating with the gathered crowd. 

Pappas’ opponent, Russell Prescott, is joining other Republican candidates like Kelly Ayotte in spending the final days of the 2024 campaign attempting to reframe their records on reproductive rights to more closely match New Hampshire voter preferences in 2024.

During a recent candidate forum on New Hampshire Public Radio, Prescott claimed he had previously supported abortion rights by voting for a Democratic-backed amendment in 2012.

“I did not vocally say we should overturn Roe v. Wade, ever. So, the question comes, my record. My record 12 years ago, on the Senate floor, I voted for a bipartisan, Democrat-brought in amendment to a bill that would have made sure that we held up Roe v. Wade, because I believe, as I believed on the Executive Council, it is concrete. It was law, and I was for it,” said Prescott.

However, Prescott reversed that support almost immediately by voting to remove that viability language the following day. His legislative history also includes support for restrictive measures on abortion access, such as a parental notification bill, requiring death certificates for aborted fetuses, and opposition to buffer zones around reproductive health facilities meant to protect patients and staff from harassment.

Prescott said in July he was the “the only candidate in this race with a pro-life record,” referring to his primary contest for the seat, seemingly willing to tout his anti-abortion bona fides just months ago.