Civil Rights

Sununu is all Talk on 'Small Government'

Protecting our civil rights is not on Sununu's list of priorities. In fact, he has voted for and supported the government interfering in the personal lives of Americans time and again.

Sununu Agreed With Intervention in Schiavo Case. In March 2005, Sununu was asked about Congress' intervention in the Schiavo dispute. Sununu said, "given the circumstances of the complex nature, the fact that this is life and death, and we have a mother and siblings who have been clear in their willingness to care for Terri Schiavo, we ought to allow them to have the circumstances in their case reviewed in federal court before Terri Schiavo is left to die. And I think that's why you see the extraordinary effort being made to make sure that this legislation is dealt with. We passed it in the Senate before we went out. I think the House will pass a very similar measure today or late tonight and send it on to the president." [CNN, Late Edition, 3/20/05]

Sununu: "I Oppose Abortion" [Concord Monitor, 11/3/96]

Sununu Voted Against Reaffirming Roe v. Wade. In 2003, Sununu voted against an amendment reaffirming the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, which made abortions legal. The amendment, which was non-binding, was sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin, who said, "I want to make sure that we send a strong signal to the women of this country that Roe v. Wade is appropriate and a decision that is not going to be overturned." [Vote 48, 3/12/03; Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor, 3/12/03]

Sununu Voted Against an Amendment To Add Health Exception To Partial-Birth Ban. In 2003, Sununu voted against an amendment to add an exception for the health of the mother to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban. [Vote 49, 3/12/03, CQ Daily Monitor, 3/12/03]

Sununu Voted Against Ensuring That Federal Employees Had Access to Prescription Contraceptives Through Health Insurance Three Times. While in the House, Sununu voted against making sure that federal employees could receive prescription contraceptives through their health care plan three times. On July 16, 1998, Sununu voted against an amendment that would have prohibited the Office of Personnel Management from accepting a contract to provide health insurance to federal employees that provides coverage for prescription drugs unless the plan also provided equivalent coverage for prescription contraceptives. Later in 1998 and in 1999 Sununu voted against similar bills. All three times, Sununu's vote put him opposite New Hampshire's other GOP Congressman, Charlie Bass. [Vote 290, 7/16/98; Vote 493, 10/7/98; Vote 303, 7/15/99]