Women’s Group Slams Bernie Sanders And DNC For Their Support Of Heath Mello
Women’s Group Slams Bernie Sanders And DNC For Their Support Of Heath Mello
The Former Nebraska Senator Sponsored Legislation in 2009 Requiring Women to Look at an Image of Their Fetuses Prior to Getting an Abortion
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Bernie Sanders will join former Nebraska State Senator Heath Mello on the campaign trail today as Mello runs for Mayor of Omaha. Sanders has recently embarked on a “Come Together and Fight Back” tour with DNC Chairman Tom Perez, traveling across the country with the stated aim of pushing for progressivism within the Democratic party and make it more of a “grassroots party.”
But UltraViolet, a leading women’s advocacy group, raises serious concerns over Sen. Sanders’ support of Mello, given that Mello, who is staunchly anti-abortion, sponsored legislation in 2009 that would require women to look at an ultrasound of their fetuses before moving forward with an abortion procedure.
Karin Roland, Chief Campaigns Officer of UltraViolet, explained:
“Bernie Sanders and Tom Perez are sorely mistaken if they think the new Democratic Party can be built off of extreme anti-woman views like those of Heath Mello, who sponsored legislation designed to intrude into a woman’s personal medical decisions. Across the country, women have been leading the progressive resistance to the Trump Administration—and the Democratic Party must not abandon these leaders by supporting economic populists who think issues like abortion are not core to women’s economic security or side issues that should be put on the backburner.
“Heath Mello should trust women to make their own informed medical decisions–and Sen. Sanders shouldn’t support any politician who forces a pregnant woman to undergo an often-medically unnecessary, demeaning procedure over her objections.
“We urge Senator Sanders and Tom Perez to realize that economic populism means nothing if it leaves out women, and to stop betraying women for a misguided plan of what is required to rebuild the Democratic Party. Women are watching, Bernie. Do not let us down.”
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UltraViolet Action is an online community of over 1,00,000 women and men who take collective action to expose and fight sexism in the public sector, private sector and the media. Find out more at WeAreUltraViolet.org.