Tillis Put Out A Statement Saying “I Am Proudly Pro-Life” And That “He Promoted Pro-Life Policies And Helped Reverse The Pro-Abortion State Policies.” According to Thom Tillis for U.S. Senate, “I am proudly Pro-Life. I believe all life is sacred and as Speaker I promoted pro-life policies and helped reverse the pro-abortion state policies Democrats had put in place for decades.” [Thom Tillis for U.S. Senate, accessed on 1/22/14]
Tillis Said That If He Was Elected To The U.S. Senate He Would “Promote A Culture Of Life And Champion The Appointment Of Qualified Pro-Life Judges.” According to Thom Tillis for U.S. Senate, “In the Senate, I will promote a culture of life and champion the appointment of qualified pro-life judges.” [Thom Tillis for U.S. Senate, accessed on 1/22/14]
Tillis Stated One Of His Goals As Speaker Was To Limit Abortions In North Carolina. According to the Raleigh News & Observer, “Incoming state House Speaker Thom Tillis assured abortion opponents Saturday that he would work to pass legislation to limit the number of abortions performed in North Carolina. Tillis, a Mecklenburg County Republican, was one of 32 GOP state legislators who attended an N.C. Right to Life Prayer Breakfast on Saturday at the Holiday Inn Brownstone Hotel. Opponents of legalized abortion hope to get bills passed this year now that Republicans control both chambers of the General Assembly.” [Raleigh News & Observer, 1/16/11]
[AUDIO] Tillis Claimed As House Speaker He Promoted Pro-Life Bills. “And Republicans need to understand that, you know, North Carolina has done a good job. And we started it when I was speaker of the House on promoting lifeand I should go back and say also promoting concealed carry protections. […] They need to understand that I am pro-life. We passed several pro-life bills when I was speaker, but we did it in a way that was focused on late term, but being reasonable about exceptions that the mother and the doctor and the family could have to sort through the tragic decision that they may have to make.” [Raeford Brown Show, 08/09/2023]; 230809_HMF_2829
[VIDEO] Tillis Claimed That He Played A Part In North Carolina’s Abortion Laws. “But, you know, at the end of the day, I want to get back to North Carolina. North Carolina has a very reasonable pro-life policy that I played a part in when I was speaker of the House.” [Talk of the Town, 9/14/22]; 220914_ZAP_3388
As Speaker Tillis Worked To Restrict Abortion Access. According to NOTUS, “Tillis was speaker of the North Carolina House for two terms beginning in 2011. At the time, he worked to increase restrictions on abortion, led efforts to block the expansion of Medicaid, fought for tighter voting ID requirements and worked to ban gay marriage.” [NOTUS, 2/28/25]
Tillis Claimed That The Dobbs Decision Was “Historic And Monumental.” According to a press release from Senator Thom Tillis, “This ruling is historic and monumental and affirms my belief that all life is sacred. Each state government and its duly elected representatives will now make the determination about the types of laws they wish to have in place. I, for one, will continue to advocate for commonsense measures that the broad majority of Americans support like protecting life at crucial points of development and prohibiting horrendous procedures like partial-birth and pain-capable abortions. This is a very emotional and sensitive issue for many Americans, and I urge calm and respect for the Court’s decision and hope people who have strong feelings on both sides will voice them peacefully.” [Press Release – Senator Thom Tillis, 6/24/22]
Tillis Signed A Letter Calling On Trump To Reinstate Pro-Life Policies. According to a press release from Senator Katie Britt, “In addition to Senators Britt, Hyde-Smith, and Lankford, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).” [Press Release – Senator Katie Britt, 1/23/25]
The Letter Claimed That The Senators Were Looking Forward To Trump Reinstating Policies On Life. According to a press release from Senator Katie Britt, “‘Over the last four years, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and their administration systematically weaponized the government against the unborn, their mothers and pro-life Americans—doing their very best to erase every trace of life-affirming victories from your first administration,’ the lawmakers wrote. ‘We look forward to the reinstatement of Trump policies on life in the first days of your second term, getting the country back to a life-affirming, whole of government approach to supporting pregnant and parenting women and their children, born and unborn.’” [Press Release – Senator Katie Britt, 1/23/25]
The Letter Was Endorsed By Various Pro-Life Groups Such As March For Life Action And Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. According to a press release by Senator Katie Britt, “The American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs, Americans United for Life, CatholicVote, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Family Research Council, March for Life Action, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Students for Life Action, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and the Vitae Foundation endorsed the letter.” [Press Release – Senator Katie Britt, 1/23/25]
2018: Tillis Effectively Voted For The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, Which Banned Abortion After 20-Weeks. In January 2018, Tillis voted for legislation banning abortion after the fetus is 20-weeks old. According to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would prohibit abortions in cases where the probable age of the fetus is 20 weeks or later and would impose criminal penalties on doctors who violate the ban, with certain exceptions. The bill would require a second doctor trained in neonatal resuscitation to be present for abortions where the fetus has the ‘potential’ to survive outside the womb.” The vote was on a motion to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed, which required 60 affirmative votes. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote of 51 to 46. [Senate Vote 25, 1/29/18; Congressional Quarterly, 1/29/18; Congressional Actions, S. 2311]
2015: Tillis Effectively Voted For A Bill That Would Prohibit Abortions After 20-Weeks Gestation Except In Cases Of Rape Or Incest, But Would Erect New Barriers Such As Requiring Rape Victims To Document That They Received Prior Medical Treatment Or Counseling. In September 2015, Tillis effectively voted for a bill that would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of gestation and would impose criminal penalties on doctors that violated the ban. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill would, “prohibit abortions in cases where the probable age of the fetus is 20 weeks or later, except in cases of rape, incest against a minor or when the life of the pregnant woman is in danger. Specifically, it would provide an exemption for pregnancies that are the result of rape against adult women if the woman obtained counseling or medical treatment for the rape at least 48 hours before the abortion. Pregnancies resulting from rape or incest against a minor would also be exempt from the ban if the rape or incest had been reported before the abortion to law enforcement or another government agency authorized to act on reports of child abuse. The measure would impose criminal penalties on doctors who violate the ban. The measure also would require health care practitioners to give the same level of care to an infant born alive during a failed abortion as they would give to an infant born at the same gestational age through natural birth.” The vote was on cloture and the Senate rejected the bill 54 to 42; 60 Senators voting yes would have been required to invoke cloture. The House had earlier passed the bill. [Senate Vote 268, 9/22/15; Congressional Quarterly, 9/22/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 36]
2017: Tillis Effectively Voted To Restrict Access To Private Insurance Plans That Provide Abortion Coverage. In July 2017, Tillis effectively voted for legislation that would have, according to Planned Parenthood, “restructured the tax credits in the underlying legislation in order to restrict coverage of abortion. This Strange Amendment was not about segregating federal funds from abortion – it was really about restricting access to safe and legal abortion. This proposal needlessly restricted women’s access to private plans that offer abortion coverage. Health plans participating in the Marketplace may already choose whether or not to offer coverage of abortion – unless state law prohibits or requires abortion coverage.” The underlying legislation was the legislative vehicle for Trumpcare. The vote was on a motion to waive all applicable budgetary discipline for the amendment, which required a three-fifths majority. The Senate rejected the motion, thereby defeating the amendment, by a vote of 50 to 50. [Senate Vote 174, 7/27/17; Planned Parenthood Action Congressional Scorecard, Accessed 5/1/18; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 389; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 267; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1628]
2017: Tillis Effectively Voted Against Requiring 60 Votes To Consider Legislation That Would Reduce Reproductive Health Care Coverage And Birth Control Coverage From The Affordable Care Act. In January 2017, Tillis voted against waiving a point of order against an amendment that said, according to the text of the amendment, “(a) Point of Order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate to consider any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, amendment between the Houses, or conference report that makes women sick again by eliminating or reducing access to women’s health care, including decreases in access to, or coverage of, reproductive health care services including contraceptive counseling, birth control, and maternity care, and primary and preventive health care as afforded to them under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148). (b) Legislation That Makes Women Sick Again.--For the purposes of subsection (a), the term ‘makes women sick again’ with respect to legislation refers to any provision of a bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, amendment between the Houses, or conference report, that would— […] (C) permitting discrimination against providers who provide reproductive health care benefits or services to women; or […] (3) eliminate, or reduce the scope or scale of, the benefits women would have received pursuant to the requirements under title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) and the amendments made to that title. (c) Waiver and Appeal.--Subsection (a) may be waived or suspended in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of three- fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under subsection (a).” The underlying legislation was an FY 2017 budget resolution designed to being the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act, which could be passed by a majority vote. The vote was on a motion to waive the budget act in relation to the amendment. The vote required a three-fifths vote for approval. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote of 49 to 49. [Senate Vote 23, 1/11/17; Congressional Record, 1/11/17; Vox, 1/3/07; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 82; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 3]
[AUDIO] Tillis Claimed That The Women’s Health Protection Act Would Allow For “Taxpayer Funded Abortions” And Would “Require Religious Medical Organizations To Perform Abortions.” “And of course, our phones are blowing up here and the Democrats are simply misleading the public. We're getting calls saying this is just simply codifying Roe v Wade couldn't be further from the truth. The proposed text allows taxpayer funded abortions, would require religious medical organizations to perform abortions or be subject to lawsuits, allows a minor to have no consultation before having an abortion up to the day of the birth. It allows non doctors to perform abortions, and it really gets worse from there. So I think that the Democrats need to be honest with the people of North Carolina and the nation that this is not about codifying Roe v Wade. This is literally passing the most extreme pro-choice, taxpayer funded abortion legislation in the history of this country.” [The Pete Kaliner Show, 05/11/22]; 220511_TXP_1855
Tillis-Led House Of Representatives Passed Abortion Regulation Bill That Would Make It Difficult For Abortion Clinics To Stay Open. According to NBC News, “The bill would place new requirements on women’s health clinics that could make it difficult for many of them to stay open, and would allow the state’s health department to create temporary rules for North Carolina’s abortion clinics as it sees fit. The bill also prohibits government-administered insurance plans (including the Affordable Care Act) to pay for abortions and would require a doctor to be present when a patient is administered abortion-inducing drugs.” [NBC News, 7/11/13]
Abortion Regulation Bill Would Prohibit Abortion Coverage On North Carolina’s Health Exchange. According to NBC News, “The bill also prohibits government-administered insurance plans (including the Affordable Care Act) to pay for abortions and would require a doctor to be present when a patient is administered abortion-inducing drugs.” [NBC News, 7/11/13]
Abortion Restrictions Bill Raised Standards For Abortion Clinics To Make Them Consistent With Outpatient Surgical Centers, And Required A Doctor To Be Present For The Entirety Of A Surgical Abortion And The Initial Stage Of A Chemically Induced Abortion. According to the Associated Press, “The bill directs state regulators to change standards for abortion clinics to bring them in line with more regulated outpatient surgical centers. It also requires doctors to be present for an entire surgical abortion and when a patient takes the first dose for a chemically induced abortion.” [Associated Press, 7/12/13]
Only One Abortion Clinic Out Of 17 In North Carolina Was Currently Prepared To Meet The Bill’s More Stringent Restrictions, And Many Others Would Be Forced To Close Because The Cost Of Upgrading Would Be Prohibitive. According to the Associated Press, “The bill authorizes the state health department to apply standards for ambulatory surgical centers to the clinics to address on-site recovery, protect patient privacy and ensure patients with complications receive necessary medical attention ‘while not unduly restricting access.’ Only one abortion operator in North Carolina is a licensed ambulatory surgical center. Many of the other 16 clinics in the state won’t be able to comply with the regulations because it will be too costly to upgrade their facilities, women’s health groups said.” [Associated Press, 7/12/13]
Abortion Clinics In Virginia And South Carolina Were Forced To Close After The Passage Of Similar Bills. According to the Associated Press, “Some clinics in South Carolina and Virginia have closed when faced with similar requirements, women’s health groups say. ‘It’s a very bold in-your-face vicious attack on women’s health,’ said Rep. Alma Adams, D-Guilford. ‘This bill is not about safety. It is about limiting choice,’ said Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, D-Wilson.” [Associated Press, 7/12/13]
Abortion Restrictions Bill Expanded The Rights Of Doctors And Nurses To Refuse To Participate In Abortions On Ethical Or Religious Grounds. According to the Associated Press, “The measure also would prohibit carrying out abortions on the basis of gender, curb abortion insurance coverage and expand the ability of doctors and nurses to refuse to participate in an abortion on ethical or religious grounds to other medical professionals.” [Associated Press, 7/12/13]
2019: Tillis Effectively Voted For Legislation Prohibiting Federal Funds From Funding Abortions Or Health Benefits Covering Abortions. In January 2019, Tillis effectively voted for a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “prohibit[ed] federal funds from being used to fund abortions or to fund health benefits covering abortions.” The vote was on a motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill. The Senate rejected the motion, thereby defeating the bill, by a vote of 48 to 47. [Senate Vote 7, 1/17/19; Congressional Quarterly, 1/17/19; Congressional Actions, S. 109]
2015: Tillis Effectively Voted For Expanding The ‘Hyde Amendment’ To Prevent Federal Money In A Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund From Being Used To Pay For Most Abortion Services. In April 2015, Tillis voted against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “remove[d] a provision in the bill that would state that amounts in the Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund would be subject to limitations in the fiscal 2014 consolidated appropriations law prohibiting money appropriated under the law from being spent on abortions, except for cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger, to the same extent as if the money from the fund was appropriated under that law.” According to Planned Parenthood, the underlying bill, which established the Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund that provided additional resources to survivors of human trafficking “ma[d]e permanent a prohibition of federal tax dollars from being used to pay for access to abortion care - a restrictive and harmful policy commonly referred to as the Hyde amendment.” The vote was on the amendment. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 43 to 55. [Senate Vote 156, 4/22/15; Congressional Quarterly, 4/22/15; Planned Parenthood, 2016 Congressional Scorecard; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 301; Congressional Actions, S. 178]
2018: Tillis Voted To Defund Planned Parenthood. In August 2018, Tillis voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “prohibit[ed] federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood.” The underlying legislation was an FY 2019 Labor, HHS, Education and Defense appropriations bill. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 45 to 48. [Senate Vote 191, 8/23/18; Congressional Quarterly, 8/23/18; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 3967; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 3695; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6157]
2015: Tillis Voted For Defunding Planned Parenthood. In May 2015, Tillis voted for barring all federal funding to Planned Parenthood. According to CNN, “The fight over funding for Planned Parenthood shifts to a must-pass government funding measure this fall after a procedural vote in the Senate on legislation that would have barred all federal funds for the group failed on Monday.” The vote was on cloture the Motion to Proceed; the motion was rejected by a vote of 53 to 46; 60 Senators voting yes would have been required to proceed. [Senate Vote 262, 8/3/15; CNN, 8/4/15; Congressional Actions, S. 1881]
Tillis’ Campaign Said That Tillis Supported A Personhood Amendment. According to Anchorage Daily News, “Shaw also said that Tillis would support a ‘personhood amendment,’ an initiative in some states that would declare a fertilized human egg to be a legal person under certain conditions. It would have to be consistent with his view that abortion should be legal in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in danger, and it would have to be in line with his view that women should have access to contraceptives, he said.” [Anchorage Daily News, 7/2/14]