Public disputes concerning abortion law and policy, including medication abortion, gestational limits, clinic access, funding, and the regulation of abortion drugs.
Published coverage on this page: 3 cases · 24+ statements. Statements are ordered newest first.
Catherine Hanaway questions the notice and process for placing Witness outside Rung for Women. The organization and Gateway Foundation defend the selection, citing its artistic value and relevance to women's lives and work.
Published
Read the case
Published
Published
Labels describe a response to the linked claim or the action explained in the statement summary. Choose one or more.
49 matching statements
Role at the time: Missouri Attorney General, speaking on KFTK
Statement summary
Catherine Hanaway criticizes the sculpture on KFTK, linking it to abortion. She says her office is asking whether its placement is appropriate.
“It is this weird statue that's coming to St. Louis. It's come to other places and it does, like, celebrate abortion.”
What this label refers to
The reference is the planned placement of Witness at Rung. Hanaway expresses a negative judgment about the work and questions the placement's appropriateness.
Role at the time: Gateway Foundation, through a spokesperson
Statement summary
The foundation says it selected Witness for artistic merit and for its treatment of women's autonomy, belonging and representation. It considers the work a fit for Rung.
“foremost for its artistic merit and beauty”
What this label refers to
The reference is the sculpture's placement at Rung. The foundation supplies an affirmative artistic and institutional justification for the selection.
Role at the time: Rung for Women, through a spokesperson
Statement summary
Rung says the sculpture fits the women who use its career-development services and welcomes the planned installation.
“perfectly reflects the strength, resilience, and determination of the women who walk through our doors”
What this label refers to
The reference is placement outside Rung's building. The organization defends that choice by connecting the work to its mission.
Role at the time: Missouri attorney general
Statement summary
Hanaway criticizes the process surrounding the planned installation and says her office intends to seek answers.
“Missourians deserve answers about the secrecy and placement, and we intend to get them.”
What this label refers to
The reference is the planned placement and its process. Hanaway expressly criticizes secrecy and inadequate neighborhood input.
Role at the time: Political scientist and Political Sightlines author, in an October 22 column
Statement summary
Fried argues that Collins's six-vote explanation confuses upholding Mississippi's law with overturning Roe. She distinguishes Roberts's narrower position from the five-justice overruling majority.
“Thus it was a five person majority without the Chief Justice that ended a federal right to abortion.”
What this label refers to
The reference point is Collins's justification for her confirmation vote. Fried challenges her account of Kavanaugh's role in Dobbs.
Role at the time: Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine
Statement summary
Jackson pointed to Collins's Kavanaugh confirmation vote during their October 6 debate and asked whether she should be trusted to pick the next Supreme Court justice.
“Would you trust her to pick the next Supreme Court justice?”
What this label refers to
Jackson questions trusting Collins with another Supreme Court appointment after her Kavanaugh confirmation vote.
Role at the time: Manufacturer of generic mifepristone, in an emailed reply from its public relations firm, Feldman Strategies
Statement summary
GenBioPro, which makes a generic version of mifepristone, declined to comment on Sen. Josh Hawley's bill to ban the drug, in an emailed reply sent on its behalf by its public relations firm.
“At this time, the company prefers not to comment.”
Hi Ben, Reaching out for GenBioPro. At this time, the company prefers not to comment. Thanks, Emma
What this label refers to
The reference point is Sen. Josh Hawley's proposal to ban mifepristone by withdrawing the drug's approval for ending a pregnancy. Asked for its response to the bill, GenBioPro said through its public relations firm that it prefers not to comment at this time, so we used Explicitly stayed out. The closest competing label is a finding that this is not a position event at all; it loses because the company was asked directly for its position and declined to give one.
Role at the time: United States senator from Missouri
Statement summary
After a Senate hearing for FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton, Hawley urged the FDA under her leadership to end abortion-drug availability in Missouri and every other state and restore safety restrictions.
“We've got to make sure that she is committed to ending the abortion drugs' availability in the state of Missouri and every other state. That they're going to put back in place the safety restrictions and they're going to follow the law.”
What this label refers to
This statement concerns potential FDA action and does not by itself establish Hawley's position on congressional enactment.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine and Republican candidate for reelection, in a CNN interview
Response to this claim
Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh remains justified despite his vote to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.
“I make the decisions based on the qualifications of the individual. And that is what I did with Brett Kavanaugh.”
The reference point is Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh and whether it remains justified after Dobbs. Collins answers a direct question about whether the vote was a mistake by restating the basis for it: his qualifications. That defends the vote, so we used Defended or excused. Mixed or conditional is close because she says she disliked his Dobbs decision, but she does not let that change her view of the vote. The quote is from CNN's transcript.
Role at the time: President of the Family Research Council, speaking at the Declaration for Life unveiling
Statement summary
Speaking at the unveiling of the Declaration for Life, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins said the Republican Party had lost its voice on abortion after removing a national abortion ban from its 2024 platform, and praised Hawley for stepping into that vacuum. He said his organisation would circulate the declaration as a standard for candidates to commit to.
“Unfortunately the Republican Party has lost its voice on the life issue and in that vacuum there are leaders that are stepping forward like Sen. Hawley calling upon the church, communities and the country to step up on behalf of the unborn.”
What this label refers to
Perkins endorses both the proposition and the campaign to bind candidates to it, and commits his organisation to enforcing it. The closest competing label is condemns, because the sentence is framed as criticism. That loses because its target is the Republican Party's retreat from the issue, not Hawley's proposal, which he praises; classifying on the emotional tone of the criticism rather than its stated target would reverse the label.
Role at the time: United States Senator for Missouri, at the first Missouri Prayer Breakfast in the Russell Senate Office Building and in a subsequent official press release
Statement summary
Six months after his bill stalled in committee, Hawley unveiled a four-page "Declaration for Life" drafted by more than 30 pastors, which calls on Congress to ban mifepristone on the grounds that state abortion restrictions cannot stop the drug being mailed across state lines. He said he would ask officeholders and candidates in both parties to sign it as a commitment to end chemical abortion, and renewed his request for a vote on his legislation.
“This Declaration for Life, written by pastors, is calling on everyday Christians across America to stand for life and confront the scourge of chemical abortion.”
What this label refers to
Here he not only restates the proposition but attaches a loyalty mechanism to it, asking candidates to pledge support for the ban. The closest competing label is “Mixed or conditional”, because the statement is addressed to Christians and churches rather than to legislators and could be read as a cultural appeal rather than a legislative demand. That loses because the declaration's own operative request is that Congress ban the drug, and Hawley paired the unveiling with a renewed call for a vote on his bill.
Role at the time: Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine
Response to this claim
Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh remains justified despite his vote to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.
“Let's put this idea that Susan Collins is pro-choice, you know, completely behind us.”
The reference point is Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh and whether it remains justified after Dobbs. Jackson cites the Kavanaugh vote as proof that Collins's pro-choice label no longer holds, which is a direct criticism of the vote. We used Condemned. Challenged the characterization is close because he disputes her pro-choice label, but he grounds that in the vote itself. The quote comes from his own video post, transcribed from the audio and matching The Hill's report.
Role at the time: Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine, through campaign spokesperson Maggie Amjad
Statement summary
Maggie Amjad, a spokesperson for Troy Jackson's U.S. Senate campaign, said Collins still says she does not regret her vote and will keep making excuses for her actions. She said Jackson will keep fighting to repair the damage Collins caused and to restore abortion rights nationwide.
“Even now, Collins proudly says she doesn’t regret her vote, and while she will keep making excuses for her actions, Troy will keep fighting to repair the damage she caused and restore abortion rights nationwide”
What this label refers to
The case asks whether Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh was justified after Dobbs. Amjad, speaking for the Jackson campaign, said Collins still says she does not regret her vote and will keep making excuses, and that Jackson will keep fighting to repair the damage she caused. That rejects Collins's defense of the vote and says it did harm, so we labeled it Condemned. The article places the remark in its discussion of the campaign's emphasis on the Kavanaugh vote.
Role at the time: President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, in a press release
Statement summary
Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, said Collins promised to protect her constituents' fundamental freedoms and instead helped Donald Trump take them away. She made the statement in a release announcing a $250,000 direct-mail campaign against Collins in Maine.
“Susan Collins’ lack of leadership and broken promises on reproductive freedom are a glaring vulnerability in this race. She promised to protect her constituents’ fundamental freedoms, and instead helped Donald Trump take them away.”
What this label refers to
The reference point is Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh, judged after Dobbs. Timmaraju says Collins broke her promises on reproductive freedom and helped Donald Trump take her constituents' freedoms away, which criticizes Collins's conduct. Her quoted words do not name Kavanaugh. The release says the ad it announces reminds Maine voters that Collins cast the deciding vote to confirm him, and The Hill reported the statement in an article about Democrats and reproductive rights groups making that vote a focus against her. We labeled it Condemned.
Role at the time: Official state affiliate of the Democratic Party, in a press release
Statement summary
The Maine Democratic Party said in a June 30, 2026 release that Collins "lied" during a Fox News interview about the effect of her Kavanaugh vote on the overturning of Roe v. Wade. It said Roe was overturned by a 5-4 vote, with Kavanaugh casting the decisive fifth vote, and that Collins doubled down by saying she does not regret the vote.
Quotation excerpt
“The campaign came after Collins lied during a Fox News interview that her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh had no impact on the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In reality, Roe was overturned by a 5-4 vote, with Kavanaugh casting the decisive…”
“The campaign came after Collins lied during a Fox News interview that her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh had no impact on the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In reality, Roe was overturned by a 5-4 vote, with Kavanaugh casting the decisive fifth vote. Collins also recently doubled down on that confirmation, saying she does not regret casting the decisive vote to put Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.”
What this label refers to
The reference point is Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh, judged after Dobbs. The party says Collins lied about the vote's effect on the overturning of Roe, says Kavanaugh cast the decisive fifth vote, and says she doubled down by saying she does not regret the vote. The release presents this as the basis of an accountability campaign against her vote, so it criticizes the vote and her defense of it and does more than dispute a description. We labeled it Condemned.
Role at the time: Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine
Response to this claim
Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh remains justified despite his vote to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.
“Susan Collins is lying through her teeth. Roe v. Wade was not overturned 6-3. That is a lie. It was 5-4.”
The reference point is Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh and whether it remains justified after Dobbs. Platner rejects Collins's claim that her vote did not matter and says she was the deciding vote to confirm the justice who decided Dobbs. That criticizes the vote itself, so we used Condemned. Challenged the characterization is close because he disputes her vote count, but he goes on to blame the confirmation. The quote is from his own X post.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine and Republican candidate for reelection, in a Fox News interview
Response to this claim
Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh remains justified despite his vote to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.
“Whether Justice Kavanaugh were confirmed or not, Roe v. Wade would have been overturned, given the 6-3 vote”
The reference point is Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh and whether it remains justified after Dobbs. Here Collins acknowledges the concern by saying she disagreed with Dobbs, then argues her vote made no difference to the outcome. That downplays the consequences of the vote, so we used Minimized. Defended or excused is close, but in this answer she does not argue the vote was right; she argues it was not decisive. The quote is from the Bangor Daily News report, and we checked it against a broadcast clip of the interview.
Role at the time: Vice president of communications, Planned Parenthood Votes
Statement summary
Angela Vasquez-Giroux condemned Collins's Kavanaugh vote and said Maine voters should choose someone who would defend abortion access.
“that person is not Susan Collins”
What this label refers to
Angela Vasquez-Giroux argues against Collins's Kavanaugh vote. Vasquez-Giroux urged Maine voters to choose a senator who would defend abortion access.
Role at the time: U.S. senator speaking to reporters
Response to this claim
Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh remains justified despite his vote to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.
“I do not regret that (confirmation) vote”
Directly defends the conduct under scrutiny, her 2018 confirmation vote, while expressing disagreement with the later Dobbs decision.
Role at the time: Graham Platner campaign manager
Response to this claim
Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh remains justified despite his vote to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.
“Thanks to Susan Collins’ decisive vote for Brett Kavanaugh, the freedom to choose was stripped away from millions of women”
Condemns the same confirmation vote that Collins defended; this is an attributed campaign statement.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine
Statement summary
Susan Collins, asked about Graham Platner's accusation that she lied to Mainers about protecting abortion rights because of her Kavanaugh vote, said it was obviously not true and that the people of Maine know her well.
“Well, that's obviously not true. The people of Maine know me well and I know them well.”
What this label refers to
The case asks whether Collins's 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh was justified after Dobbs. Asked about Graham Platner's primary-night accusation that she lied to Mainers about protecting abortion rights, Collins said it was obviously not true. This is a flat denial of the dishonesty charge attached to the vote, so Denied fits. Defended or excused is the closest competing label; it loses because in this answer she does not argue that the vote itself was justified.
Role at the time: Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the national conference of Catholic bishops, in a letter signed by its chairman, Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo
Statement summary
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities wrote to Senator Josh Hawley and Representative Diana Harshbarger to support the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, said that withdrawing the FDA's approval of mifepristone for abortion would likely save lives, and urged their colleagues to pass the bill.
Quotation excerpt
“In withdrawing FDA approval of mifepristone for abortion, prohibiting its being labeled for abortion, and ensuring a private right of action against manufacturers, the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, would likely save lives…”
“In withdrawing FDA approval of mifepristone for abortion, prohibiting its being labeled for abortion, and ensuring a private right of action against manufacturers, the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, would likely save lives by curtailing the incidence of chemical abortion itself and all of its associated risks to the mothers as well. We are very grateful for your leadership in addressing this serious moral issue, and we urge your colleagues in both the House and Senate to support and pass this bill.”
What this label refers to
The committee states its support for the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, says withdrawing FDA approval of mifepristone would likely save lives, and urges Congress to pass the bill. That is direct support for Hawley's proposal that Congress ban mifepristone by withdrawing its FDA approval, so we labeled it Defended or excused.
Role at the time: United States Senator for Alabama, in an official press release announcing that he joined Hawley's bill
Statement summary
Senator Tommy Tuberville said one in ten women who take mifepristone suffer serious health problems and that the drug needs to be banned. He also said he was proud to join Hawley's bill, which would let harmed women sue the drug's manufacturers.
Quotation excerpt
“One in ten women who take this drug suffer serious health problems and it needs to be banned. These companies need to be put out of business and forced to pay the price for the damage they’ve caused. I’m proud to join this legislation with…”
“One in ten women who take this drug suffer serious health problems and it needs to be banned. These companies need to be put out of business and forced to pay the price for the damage they’ve caused. I’m proud to join this legislation with Sen. Hawley to ban mifepristone and empower the women who have been harmed to hold these pharmaceutical companies accountable.”
What this label refers to
The reference point is Hawley's proposal that Congress ban mifepristone by withdrawing its federal approval. Tuberville said the drug needs to be banned and that he was proud to join Hawley's legislation to do it. That is direct support for the ban, so we labeled it Defended or excused.
Role at the time: Legal advocacy organization, in its U.S. Repro Watch news update
Statement summary
In its U.S. Repro Watch update of March 24, 2026, the Center for Reproductive Rights said federal lawmakers, including Sen. Josh Hawley, are attempting to ban mifepristone and are urging the FDA to rescind its approval despite the drug's decades-long safety record.
“Federal lawmakers are attempting to ban mifepristone. Republican Senator Josh Hawley and other lawmakers are urging the FDA to rescind its approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, despite its decades-long safety record.”
What this label refers to
The case's reference point is Hawley's proposal that Congress ban mifepristone by revoking its federal approval. The Center describes Hawley and other lawmakers as attempting to ban the drug despite its decades-long safety record, which criticizes the proposal on safety grounds, so we labeled it Condemned.
Republican politician serving as Attorney General of Missouri.
1 case and 2 statements
Amy Fried is professor emerita of political science at the University of Maine, where she retired in 2023 after holding the John Mitchell Nickerson professorship. Her research examines the history and political uses of public opinion in the United States. Her books include Pathways to Polling and, with Douglas B. Harris, At War With Government. She writes Political Sightlines and previously wrote a regular column for the Bangor Daily News.
1 case and 1 statement
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine.
1 case and 3 statements
United States Senator (Republican) from Missouri.
1 case and 5 statements
United States Senator and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine.
1 case and 5 statements
Tony Perkins is president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian public policy organization, and hosts its Washington Watch broadcast. He is a former Louisiana state legislator and a former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
1 case and 2 statements
Mini Timmaraju is president and chief executive of Reproductive Freedom for All, the abortion-rights advocacy organization formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice America.
2 cases and 2 statements
Graham Platner is a Maine oyster farmer and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army. He won Maine's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in June 2026 and withdrew from the race in July 2026.
1 case and 1 statement
Angela Vasquez-Giroux is a communications professional who has held leadership roles at Planned Parenthood Votes and NARAL Pro-Choice America.
1 case and 1 statement
Ben Chin is a Maine political organizer who has worked with the Maine People's Alliance since 2005, including as its political director, and ran for mayor of Lewiston. He became campaign manager for Graham Platner's 2026 U.S. Senate campaign. He graduated from Bates College in 2007 and has co-hosted the Beacon Podcast.
1 case and 1 statement
Tommy Tuberville is a Republican U.S. senator for Alabama, serving since January 2021. Before entering politics, he coached college football, including head-coaching posts at Auburn University, Texas Tech University and the University of Cincinnati. He is running for governor of Alabama in 2026.
1 case and 1 statement
United States Senator and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio.
1 case and 1 statement
