Schweikert was a perennial co-sponsor of the Life at Conception Act (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021), which sought to establish fetal personhood—a national ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the patient. Legal analysts warned it threatened IVF as well; asked in 2024 if the nationwide abortion ban he supported could ban IVF, Schweikert answered, “I don’t know.”
Schweikert repeatedly voted to strip Americans of their reproductive rights. Schweikert voted against codifying abortion protections in federal law. He voted against protecting out-of-state abortion services and protecting access to FDA-approved abortion drugs. Schweikert also voted against codifying the right to access contraception in federal law.
After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Schweikert said he was “pleased” and that the anti-abortion “battle” had not stopped, it was only different. Schweikert has also voted to restrict access to mifepristone more than once.
Schweikert has a history of making misogynistic comments on radio shows, even suggesting that women who got abortions hated America.
Schweikert Cosponsored The Life At Conception Act Six Separate Times Between 2012-2021. According to Cronkite News, “But as Democrats point out, from 2012 to 2021, Schweikert co-sponsored a “Life at Conception Act” six times. That would have made abortion almost entirely illegal not only in Arizona but nationwide.” [Cronkite News, 6/27/24]
The Life At Conception Act Was Effectively A Total Abortion Ban. According to the Washington Post, “Several abortion bans have already been introduced in Congress. A six-week abortion ban has been introduced in the House, by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), and the Life at Conception Act, which would recognize a fetus as a person with equal protections under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, has been introduced in both chambers. Nineteen Republican senators and well over 100 Republicans in the House have co-sponsored the measure, signaling that many would like to see a total ban on abortion.” [Washington Post, 5/2/22]
2022: Schweikert Voted Against Codifying The Right To Receive Abortion Services And The Right For Medical Providers To Provide Abortion Services And Against Prohibiting Abortion Restrictions. In July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022, which would “statutorily establish that health care providers have a right to provide and patients have a right to receive abortion services, and it would prohibit certain restrictions related to abortion services. The bill would specify that rights established by the bill may not be restricted by certain requirements or limitations related to abortion services, including prohibitions on abortion prior to fetal viability, or after fetal viability if a provider determines that continuation of a pregnancy would pose a risk to a patient's life or health; requirements that patients disclose reasons for seeking an abortion or make medically unnecessary in-person appointments; requirements that providers provide medically inaccurate information or perform specific medical tests or procedures in connection with the provision of abortion services; limitations on providers' ability to prescribe drugs based on good-faith medical judgment, provide services via telemedicine or provide immediate services when a delay would pose a risk to a patient's health; and requirements for facilities and personnel that would not apply to facilities providing medically comparable procedures. It would also prohibit requirements or limitations that are similar to those established by the bill or that impede access to abortion services and expressly or implicitly single out abortion services, providers or facilities.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote 219-210, thus the bill was sent to the Senate. The Senate did not take substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 360, 7/15/22; Congressional Quarterly, 7/15/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 8296]
2022: Schweikert Voted Against Protecting An Individual’s Access To Out-Of-State Abortion Services And Against Prohibiting The Restriction Of Interstate Movement Against Any FDA-Approved Abortion Drug. In July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, which would “prohibit individuals from interfering with patients' ability to access to abortion services in another state where the services are legal. Specifically, it would prohibit any person acting under color of state law from preventing, restricting or retaliating against health care providers' ability to provide abortion services that are legal in the provider's state to patients who do not reside in that state; a person's ability to assist in providing such services; or a person's ability to travel or assist another person traveling across state lines to obtain an abortion. It would also prohibit individuals from preventing, restricting or retaliating against the interstate movement of any drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the termination of a pregnancy.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote 223-205, thus the bill was sent to the Senate. The Senate did not take substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 362, 7/15/22; Congressional Quarterly, 7/15/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 8297]
2023: Schweikert Voted For The FY 2024 Agriculture Appropriations. In September 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for “passage of the bill that would provide roughly $22 billion in discretionary funding in fiscal 2024 for the Agriculture Department and related agencies. The bill would provide $6.2 billion to the Food and Drug Administration, including $3 billion in discretionary budget authority and $3.2 billion in user fees; $3.4 billion for Agriculture Department rural development activities; $1.5 billion for the Agricultural Research Service; and $1 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service. It would provide $122 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, $32 billion for child nutrition programs, and $6 billion for the Women, Infants, and Children program.” The vote was on passage. The House rejected the bill by a vote of 197 to 237. [House Vote 507, 9/28/23; Congressional Quarterly, 9/28/23; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4368]
2011: Schweikert Voted To Bar Funds In The 2012 Agricultural Appropriations Bill From Being Used For Mifepristone. In June 2011, Schweikert voted for an amendment to the 2012 agriculture appropriations bill which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, “bar the use of funds in the bill for the abortion drug mifepristone, also known as RU-486.” The House passed the amendment by a vote of 240 by 176. The bill was amended by the Senate, which removed the provision. [House Vote 445, 6/16/11; Congressional Quarterly, 6/16/11; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 463; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2112]
2022: Schweikert Voted Against Codifying The Right To Access Contraceptives And The Right For Health Care Providers To Provide Contraceptives To Their Patients. In July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the Right to Contraception Act, which would “protect a person's ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception, and to protect a health care provider's ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote 228-195, thus the bill was sent to Senate. The Senate did not take substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 385, 7/21/22; Congressional Quarterly, 7/21/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 8373]
July 2022: Schweikert Called Women Who Get Abortions Selfish After One Woman Described Getting An Abortion As “An Act Of Self-Love,” Saying “They Hate The Country,” “Hate Their Neighbors,” And “Hate That Baby.” According to Huffington Post, “During the interview, host Seth Leibsohn referenced a woman in a House oversight committee hearing who had recently testified that having an abortion was the best decision she’d made and ‘an act of self-love.’ ‘Think about what she just said,’ Schweikert said. ‘You have a number of these [inaudible] that life means nothing, self means everything.’ Leibsohn agreed as Schweikert went on. ‘It’s about self. It’s about self. It’s about self,’ said the Arizona congressman. ‘And you wonder why they hate the country because they only care about themselves.’ He continued, ‘They hate their neighbors because they only care about themselves. They hate that baby because it symbolizes a responsibility.’” [Huffington Post, 10/24/24]
July 2022: Schweikert Claimed Women “Only Care About Themselves” And Hated Babies Because Babies Symbolized “Responsibility.” According to an interview with David Schweikert on the Seth Leibsohn Show, “HOST: I've been watching some of the hearings over at the House Oversight Committee on this issue having to do with life in abortion. I mean, you could not have two different views, world views, could you, than what you saw from one Ms. Lopez, who was testifying earlier this week. She said to the committee, ‘My abortion was the best decision I ever made. It was an act of self-love.’ My gosh, they just don't even hide it and conceal it anymore. SCHWEIKERT: But think about what she just said. Yeah, you have a number of these folks that life means nothing. HOST: Right. SCHWEIKERT: Self means everything. HOST: Yep. SCHWEIKERT: It's about self. It’s about self. It’s about self. And you wonder why they hate the country because they only care about themselves. HOST: Yup. SCHWEIKERT: They hate their neighbors because they only care about themselves. They hate the baby because it symbolizes a responsibility.” [David Schweikert Interview – Seth Leibsohn Show, 7/13/22] (AUDIO)
June 2022: Schweikert Suggested The Family Structure And Society Was Crumbling Because Of Reproductive Rights And Called Democrats A “Death Cult.” According to an interview with David Schweikert on the Seth Leibsohn Show, “SCHWEIKERT: I'm terrified what's happening in the family structure. HOST: Yeah. SCHWEIKERT: But it's. But it's more than the family structure, what it means economically, what it means in the ability of society to grow, what it means to be able to have revenues to cover Social Security and Medicare, what it means, the foundation of our society are in real trouble. And I'm going to say something incredibly harsh. The left is becoming like a death cult. There, and this is far beyond their radicalized positions and how extreme they've become on the issue of life. If you go over so many of their other issues, um, it is very uncomfortable how they view human beings and society and what it means just to be a gift from God.” [David Schweikert Interview – Seth Leibsohn Show, 6/29/22] (AUDIO)
November 2022: Schweikert Claimed His Nieces Were “A Little Bit Into The Woke” And Implied His Nieces Weren’t Smart Because Of That. According to an interview with David Schweikert on the Seth Leibsohn Show, “HOST: You're obviously in politics. How political is your Thanksgiving dinner or discussion around the table? SCHWEIKERT: One of the greatest gifts the Dear Lord ever gave anyone, my family is politically with me. HOST: Ah ha. That makes it easier. SCHWEIKERT: I mean, I have a couple of nieces that are a little bit into the woke. And when you walk them through it, they just sort of stare at you like, well I, you know. HOST: Yeah. SCHWEIKERT: But most of the family is actually really, really smart and sort of gets it.” [David Schweikert Interview – Seth Leibsohn Show, 11/23/22] (AUDIO)
April 2022: While Talking About Fentanyl’s Impact On Communities, Schweikert Claimed Suburban Women And Young People Who Voted For Democrats “Voted For Their Own Destruction.” According to an interview with David Schweikert on the Seth Leibsohn Show during which they talked about the impact of fentanyl on communities, “SCHWEIKERT: What’s fascinating is young people were sort of the big group that elected Democrats. Suburban women and young people basically were the big population that voted Democrat. So the suburban women’s children and the young people themselves that are being devastated by this [fentanyl crisis], they basically, it’s hard to say words like this, but they voted for their own destruction.” [David Schweikert Interview – Seth Leibsohn Show, 4/20/22] (AUDIO) 00:01:30
May 2021: Schweikert Alleged Women Voted Democratic Because “They Were Unhappy With Having Their Feelings Assaulted By The Previous President.” According to an interview with David Schweikert on Wake Up Tucson, “SCHWEIKERT: So watch what's happening. And we actually you can see it in our numbers in Arizona, even for myself, precincts I had, voting precincts that had much higher, um, blue plastic, blue collar working folks, higher Hispanic populations. Republicans, myself did much better than we've ever done before, but, the not the super high end, but the college educated. HOST: White suburban women right? Trump lost them. SCHWEIKERT: Yeah, with lots of apartments. So, you know, the high end apartments which actually sometimes dominate to female, you could actually see they went much more left, you know, because they were unhappy with having their feelings assaulted by the previous president. And so does that realignment continue? And I think it does. And the classic way to look at that is who's financing who.” [David Schweikert Interview – Wake Up Tucson, 5/13/21] (AUDIO)
March 2021: Schweikert Claimed Suburban Women Had Been “Radicalized” By Their Dislike For Donald Trump And They Didn’t Actually Understand The Choices They Were Making. According to an interview with David Schweikert on the Seth Leibsohn Show, HOST: Okay. Okay. Um. What else should we watch out for this week? SCHWEIKERT: Oh, yeah. There's just lots of bad stuff. And you think of every failed leftist idea for the last couple of decades, and it's as if the Democrats have been trying to ram it in to these first couple hundred days of Congress. And. You know, at first you go, oh that's just them paying off the left or giving lip service. But the Democrats are really serious about this stuff becoming law. HOST: Yeah. SCHWEIKERT: And that's where the attack on the filibuster. HOST: Yup. SCHWEIKERT: So for I think a number of Democrats in the House, they thought they could vote for the crazy stuff, pacify their Code Pink's their MoveOn.org, their resist groups. You know, the folks who've been radicalized and I hate to say many of these are, you know, suburban females that so disliked the last president. They moved hard, left, not actually understanding, you know, what they're doing to their own family’s future.” [David Schweikert Interview – Seth Leibsohn Show, 3/17/21] (AUDIO)
November 2022: Schweikert Implied Single Women Voted Democratic Because They Had No Families And Therefore No Responsibilities In His View, And Claimed Women Voted For “Whatever Feels Trendy.” According to an interview with David Schweikert on The Seth Leibsohn Show, “HOST: And there's a marriage effect, too, isn't there? At least I was looking at some, again, exit polls and maybe too early. The marriage effect, particularly with women voters, married women tend to do more with Republicans, whereas single women tend to vote more Democratic. SCHWEIKERT: Yeah, and it's been that, but it's been that way 30 years. And there is sort of I have a family now. I need to defend my family. I don't have a family. I'm going to depend more my…whatever feels trendy at this point. And I think that's some ways human nature. I mean, how many people are a little carefree until the moment they take on the responsibility. HOST: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Kids issues, children's issues, just might not be their passion. Right?” [David Schweikert Interview – Seth Leibsohn Show, 11/10/22] (AUDIO) 00:03:34
June 2022: Schweikert Suggested Issues Facing Working Women Were Not Issues Worthy Of The Attention Of The Ways And Means Committee. According to an interview of David Schweikert on Wake Up Tucson, “HOST: So tell me about this. This is on your Twitter page. It's from the Ways and Means Committee. It's the bar graph about women's real wage laws. Talk about that please. SCHWEIKERT: Well, to give you an idea how the Democrats now run Congress by virtue signaling. So they called together the entire Ways and Means Committee. And we're not about to do a major, you know, piece of legislation or bring in the experts to talk about what we can do to take on inflation. You know, what we can do to save the poor and the working poor and the working middle class and the country. We're going to hold a hearing on stresses on, you know, female workers. Okay. It's fine. I'm not sure that’s a Ways and Means issue.” [David Schweikert Interview – Wake Up Tucson, 6/10/22] (AUDIO)