US Rep. Steil's spin on US Sen. Baldwin on abortion and taxes is off

Long before Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race was set in the August primary, voters had been hearing about the top two candidates and their stance on issues like abortion. 

U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., called out U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., on abortion in an interview on UpFront on WISN-TV in April. 

When asked about Donald Trump’s position on abortion, Steil said:

"At the national level what we’re often talking about is whether taxpayer dollars should be used. You have someone like Tammy Baldwin that believes taxpayer dollars should be used for abortion. And somebody like me that comes down on the side of life." 

To be clear, Baldwin is running against Republican Eric Hovde, a madison businessman, not Steil, who is in his own race against Democrat Peter Barca. 

But is Steil right that Baldwin supports using taxpayer money for abortions? 

When we asked Steil’s office for evidence, his staff noted that Baldwin voted against the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act in January 2019.

Baldwin’s vote contributed to the measure failing in the Senate. 

A January 2019 story from Politico called the vote on the legislation "a largely symbolic effort timed to coincide with the country’s largest annual anti-abortion demonstration in Washington."

Asked if Baldwin supported tax dollars paying for abortions, Baldwin campaign spokesman Andrew Mamo did not answer the question directly, stating only Baldwin "will always vote to support womens’ freedom to make their own health care decisions."

Meanwhile, Steil’s office also pointed us to two amendments in 2021 proposed by U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., related to the potential use of taxpayer dollars for abortions that Baldwin voted against.

But in the way Washington operates, there can be many reasons for a no vote – from opposition to cost to other items in the measure, or as a response to political maneuvering. 

Finally, Steil’s office also pointed to Baldwin introducing a bill in the Senate dubbed the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act of 2023. 

According to the text of the bill, the measure would "authorize grants to eligible entities to pay for travel-related expenses and logistical support for individuals seeking abortion services, and for other purposes."

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The proposed legislation offers funding for organizations that work with pregnant women on things such as  travel, meals, logistics, childcare, patient education and even doula care. 

It’s clear by its own description that taxpayer funds could be used to help people who are trying to get an abortion. However, the bill also states that "an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall not use the grant for costs of an abortion procedure."

So, it’s far from as clear cut as Steil tried to make it.