Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley denied supporting unlimited abortion access up to nine months, then declined to name any point in pregnancy when he believes the procedure should be banned.
“You should probably ask a doctor that. I don’t know anything.”
In an October 13 interview with WMTV reporter Vanessa Kjeldsen, Crowley was told that Republican opponent Tom Tiffany says he wants unlimited abortion access up to nine months. “That is absolutely not true,” Crowley replied. “But I think this speaks directly to the fact that Congressman Tom Tiffany is willing to go above and beyond to distract, to divide, and quite frankly, just lie about my record and lie about who I am.”
Asked whether he would like to see abortion access expanded beyond Wisconsin’s current 20-week cutoff, Crowley said he is a husband and father of three daughters and that “what’s more important for me is making sure that politicians like Congressman Tom Tiffany isn’t trying to make those health care decisions for them.”
Pressed on what cutoff he supports, Crowley answered: “Look, I think that’s a decision that needs to be between a patient and their health care provider.”
When asked specifically about rare cases after 20 weeks, he said, “You should probably ask a doctor that. I don’t know anything.” He added that “we trust them to have those conversations with that patient, and that happens very rarely.” Told that the doctor should therefore hold the power to make all decisions on abortion access, Crowley replied that politicians should be taken “out of the hospital room, out of the patient’s room” and that “no matter how you ask me, I’m gonna keep saying the same thing.”
Crowley’s legislative record shows consistent opposition to limits. As a state representative, he joined all other Democrats in voting against the 2019 born-alive bill, which required medical care for infants who survive an attempted abortion. The measure passed the Assembly 62-35, and Gov. Tony Evers later vetoed it. He also voted against Assembly Bill 182, which banned abortions sought solely because of the fetus’s race, sex, or a potential diagnosis of Down syndrome or another congenital disability. That bill likewise passed on a party-line vote and was vetoed.
Crowley has highlighted his support for 2017 Assembly Joint Resolution 10, which declared that abortion is health care. On October 6, he announced he would push a constitutional amendment establishing a “fundamental right” to reproductive decisions, including abortion, and leaving “medical judgments about viability and necessary care with the treating health care professional.” The campaign has not released sample language showing whether the proposal would override the existing 20-week ban.
With three weeks until Election Day, Crowley continues to say he opposes unlimited abortion while refusing to identify any cutoff he would support.
