Pro-Life Endorsement For Feenstra Undermines King’s Signature Issue

Congressman Steve King often boasts of his anti-abortion accomplishments, the primary one being the “heartbeat” bill he introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that the Iowa Legislature would later pass a version of.

“Iowa became, for a time, the No. 1 most pro-life state in the union,” King said during a recent online forum with his fellow Republican candidates in the 4th District.

As King has been increasingly marginalized in Congress due to his removal from all committees following his comments on white nationalism, the congressman has often touted his pro-life credentials for remaining in office.

Despite King’s longstanding efforts to make abortion illegal in the United States — with no rape or incest exceptions — the National Right to Life Committee this week endorsed his top opponent in the five-way primary race.

“All Iowa voters in the 4th Congressional District who are concerned with the right to life and with the protection of the most vulnerable members of the human family should vote to send you to Congress, so that you can work to advance pro-life public policies,” the National Right to Life Committee wrote in a Thursday letter to state Sen. Randy Feenstra.

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Feenstra, during Crawford County’s 4th District forum, said he opposed all abortion exceptions other than to save a woman’s life.

“There is nothing more important than defending innocent life,” Feenstra said in a statement about the committee’s endorsement. “In the Iowa Senate, I was proud that we defunded Planned Parenthood, ended taxpayer funding of abortion and defined that life begins at conception.

“In Congress,” he continued, “I’ll join President Trump as we continue to protect innocent life and create a culture of life in America. This incredibly important endorsement is further proof that I am the effective conservative leader with a proven record of defending life.”

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Friday on Twitter, King accused National Right to Life of blocking his heartbeat bill, which makes it illegal to obtain an abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected.

“National Right to Life blocked the bill with their Leadership granted veto,” King said. “Roe v. Wade will NEVER be overturned until [National Right to Life] is out of the way.”

In the 115th Congress, I had 174 co-sponsors on the #ProLife #HeartBeat bill & the votes to pass it on the floor of the U.S. House. National Right to Life blocked the bill with their Leadership granted veto. Roe v. Wade will NEVER be overturned until @nrlc is out of the way. pic.twitter.com/0KZInWSoSM

— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) May 8, 2020

Late in April, the Sioux City Journal reported on internal polling commissioned by Feenstra’s campaign showing him leading the incumbent congressman by 7 percentage points in the June 2 primary.

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Feenstra regularly out-raises King, who has never been a prolific fundraiser, and has secured the most high-profile endorsements in the primary. In addition to the National Right to Life Committee, he also was endorsed this week by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

By Elizabeth Meyer
Posted 5/10/20

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