Democratic opponent blasts votes by NY Rep. Malliotakis against abortion rights
Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island and Brooklyn came under fire Sunday from a Democratic rival for voting against abortion rights legislation.
She voted Friday in Congress against the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would bar states from restricting abortions, and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which would prohibit them from blocking access to out-of-state abortion services.
The bills marked Democrats’ first legislative response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which had made abortion a constitutional right, by the U.S. Supreme Court in May.
They passed in the House along party lines, though they are expected to fail in the evenly divided Senate.
“Both votes are inexcusable and they either represent Nicole’s absolutely extremist views on a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions or they represent her willingness to do anything to stay in line with the national extremist congressional Republican Party,” said Max Rose, who is seeking to win back his old congressional seat from Malliotakis in the general election this fall.
“Either way, they are absolutely inexcusable,” he added.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-NY and Max Rose, D-NY. (AFP and Daily News photos)
Malliotakis declined to comment, and she is yet to make a public statement on the bills.
Rose noted the vote came after Albany recently moved to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution and as local pols are seeking to facilitate abortion access for people traveling from out of state.
“There’s no question that the intent of her votes is to undermine those efforts,” Rose said.
The out-of-state travel issue made headlines last week when an Indiana doctor reported providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio, where abortion was banned following the Supreme Court decision.
No House Republicans voted in favor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, and just a few supported the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act.
Rose called on Malliotakis to defend her votes publicly.
“Nicole Malliotakis owes the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn an explanation as to why she thinks a 10-year-old rape victim and her doctor, or anyone for that matter, should be prosecuted for making a medical decision.” he said.
With News Wire Services
