Lee Zeldin And Abortion

Zeldin Celebrated Roe V. Wade Being Overturned 

Zeldin On The Overturning Of Roe v. Wade: “Today Is A Victory For Life, For Family, For The Constitution, And For Federalism”

Zeldin Said Roe V. Wade Being Overturned Was “Yet Another Reminder That New York Clearly Needs To Do A Much Better Job To Promote, Respect And Defend Life.” According to the Register-Star, “Women, local Planned Parenthood leaders and other officials Friday condemned or praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision to overturn the landmark 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade. The decision erases women’s constitutional right to an abortion in the United States and allows states to outlaw abortions, if they choose. […] Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin called the decision a victory for life, family and the Constitution.  ‘When my daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were born 14 1/2 weeks early, I had the opportunity to witness life in the second trimester and it was absolutely beautiful,’ Zeldin said in a statement. ‘In a state that has legalized late-term partial-birth abortion and non-doctors performing abortion, in a state that refuses to advance informed consent and parental consent, and where not enough is being done to promote adoption and support mothers, today is yet another reminder that New York clearly needs to do a much better job to promote, respect and defend life.’” [Register-Star via Nexis, 6/25/22]

Zeldin: “Today Is A Victory For Life, For Family, For The Constitution, And For Federalism.” According to Newsday, “Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), who is running for the Republican nomination for governor, celebrated the court’s decision, invoking his twin daughters, who were born premature in the second trimester. ‘Today is a victory for life, for family, for the Constitution, and for federalism,’ Zeldin said in a statement. He added that more needed to be done in the state ‘to promote adoption and support mothers.’” [Newsday via Nexis, 6/25/22]

While Running For Governor, Zeldin Said He Wanted To Reverse New York State’s Protections For Abortion Care

April 2022: Zeldin Said New York State’s Abortion Law Should Be Reversed 

April 2022: Zeldin Said New York State’s Abortion Law Should Be Reversed. According to the Daily News, “In 2019, the Dem-led Legislature codified Roe  into state law and allowed pregnancies to be terminated after 24 weeks if a woman’s life is in danger or the fetus is not viable. The law also allows a licensed or certified health care practitioner to perform abortions. ‘I absolutely do not support these changes that have been made up in Albany,’ Zeldin told the anti-abortion lobbyists in April. ‘I strongly believe that they should be reversed.’” [Daily News via Nexis, 10/20/22]

June 2022: Zeldin Said New York State’s Strong Protection For Abortion Was “Going Too Far”

June 2022: Zeldin Said New York State’s Strong Protection For Abortion Was “Going Too Far.” According to the New York Times, “State Democrats pointed out on Monday night that Mr. Zeldin has previously voiced support for ending Roe and said in April that he would like to appoint ‘a health commissioner who respects life as opposed to what we’re used to.’ On Monday, the candidate also outlined other proposals to limit access, including requiring parental consent, and said that New York’s strong protections for abortion are ‘going too far.’” [New York Times, 6/13/22]

Zeldin Voted Twice For A Federal Abortion Ban

Zeldin Voted For A Federal Abortion Ban Twice

2017: Zeldin Voted For A Federal Abortion Ban. In October 2017, Zeldin voted for legislation banning abortion after the fetus is 20-weeks old. According to Congressional Quarterly, “Passage of 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. It would provide exceptions for cases in which the woman’s life is in danger as well as for pregnancies that are a result of rape for pregnancies that are a result of rape against an adult woman, if the woman received counseling or medical treatment for the rape at least 48 hours prior to the abortion. An exception would be provided for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest against a minor if the rape or incest had been previously reported to law enforcement or another government agency authorized to act on reports of child abuse. 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 passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 237 to 189. The Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 549, 10/3/17; Congressional Quarterly, 10/3/17; Congressional Actions, H.R. 36]

2015: Zeldin Voted For A Federal Abortion Ban. In May 2015, Zeldin 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 amendment 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. It would provide exceptions for cases in which the woman’s life is in danger as well as for pregnancies that are a result of rape if, as amended, for pregnancies that are a result of rape against an adult woman, the woman received counseling or medical treatment for the rape at least 48 hours prior to the abortion. An exception would be provided for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest against a minor if the rape or incest had been previously reported to law enforcement or another government agency authorized to act on reports of child abuse. As amended, 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, and, if the fetus is born alive, the bill would require that the infant be provided medical care and immediately be transported and admitted to a hospital. As amended, women wishing to have abortions under the bill’s exceptions would need to sign (along with the doctor and a witness) an informed consent authorization form detailing the age of the fetus and stating that, if born alive, would be given medical assistance and transported to a hospital.” The vote was on passage and the House passed the bill 242 to 184. Cloture on the motion to proceed on the bill was blocked in the Senate. [House Vote 223, 5/13/15; Congressional Quarterly, 5/13/15; Congressional Quarterly, 5/12/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 36]

Lee Zeldin And Foreign Policy

Zeldin Was Repeatedly Absent From House Foreign Affairs Committee Meetings

2015: Zeldin Missed More Than Half Of Full House Foreign Affairs Committee Meetings

2015: Zeldin Missed More Than Half Of Full House Foreign Affairs Committee Meetings. According to the New York Post, “Freshman Rep. Lee Zeldin has positioned himself as a foreign policy firebrand with his tough talk on taking out ISIS. But Zeldin has skipped out from his assignment as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which is charged with dealing with national security foreign policy. A review by The Post found the Long Island Republican missed more than half of full committee hearings last year.” [New York Post, 1/14/16]

2015: Zeldin Was Absent From 12 Of 18 Hearings That Dealt Specifically With ISIS And Syria

2015: Zeldin Was Absent From 12 Of 18 Hearings That Dealt Specifically With ISIS And Syria. According to the New York Post, “Zeldin was a no-show last year at 12 of 18 hearings that dealt specifically with ISIS and Syria.” [New York Post, 1/14/16]

Zeldin Voted Against Repealing Trump’s Travel Ban

2020: ZELDIN VOTED AGAINST REPEALING TRUMP’S TRAVEL BANS

2020: Zeldin Voted Against Repealing Trump’s Travel Bans And Prohibiting Religious Discrimination In The Process Of Issuing Visas. In July 2020, Zeldin voted against the No Ban Act that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “terminate[d] a number of executive orders and proclamations by the president restricting entry into the United States from certain countries, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. It would explicitly prohibit discrimination based on religion with regard to individuals seeking entry into the United States. It would limit the president’s ability to restrict entry of a class of foreign nationals, including to require that such restrictions be temporary, narrowly tailored and subject to a State Department determination that they are in the interest of U.S. public safety or international stability. It would allow individuals present in the United States who are harmed by entry restrictions in violation of the bill’s provisions to seek relief.” The vote was on a motion to concur in the Senate amendment. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 233-183. The bill never became law. [House Vote 153, 7/22/20; Congressional Quarterly, 7/22/20; Congressional Actions, H.R.2486]

• The Bill Would Have Repealed The Trump Administration’s Ban On Travel Restrictions From Certain Nations And Prohibited Future Presidents From Implementing Bans Based On Race Or Religion. According to Congressional Quarterly, “The House passed a measure Wednesday that would repeal the Trump administration’s ban on restricting travel from targeted nations and prohibit future presidents from implementing bans based on race or religion. […] The legislation would lift restrictions President Donald Trump has put on numerous countries over the years, including travel limits initially placed on a group of predominantly Muslim nations.” [Congressional Quarterly, 7/22/20]

2020: Trump Administration Added Six Countries To The Travel Ban

2020: Trump Administration Added Six Countries To The Travel Ban. According to the New York Times, “President Trump on Friday added six countries to his list of nations facing stringent travel restrictions, a move that will virtually block immigration from Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, and from Myanmar, where the Muslim minority is fleeing genocide. Beside Nigeria, three other African countries, Eritrea, Sudan and Tanzania, will face varying degrees of restrictions, as will one former Soviet state, Kyrgyzstan. Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims could also be caught in the crossfire. All six countries have substantial Muslim populations. The total number of countries now on the restricted travel list stands at 13.” [New York Times, 1/31/20]

Zeldin Cast Votes That Undermined The Ability Of The U.S. To Stand Up To Russia In The War Against Ukraine

2019: ZELDIN VOTED AGAINST AN APPROPRIATIONS BILL THAT INCLUDED FUNDING FOR COUNTERING RUSSIAN AND CHINESE INFLUENCE

2019: Zeldin Voted Against The FY 2020 Minibus Appropriations Bill, Which Provided $590 Million To Counter Russian And Chinese Influence. In December 2019, Zeldin voted against the FY 2020 minibus spending bill, which represented 8 of the 12 appropriations bills. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill “provides $290 million for the Countering Russian Influence Fund, $15 million more than the FY 2019 level. The fund assists countries in Europe and Eurasia in enhancing the capacity of their security forces, including the modernization of NATO partners such as Greece. The funds may also be used by the Baltic states for cyber and democracy programs to counter Russian influence and aggression […] The measure provides $300 million for a new Countering Chinese Influence Fund to combat malign Chinese influence activities and increase transparency and accountability associated with the Belt and Road Initiative.” The vote was a motion to concur in the Senate amendment. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 297-120. The Senate later passed the bill and the president signed the bill into law. [House Vote 689, 12/17/19; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.1865]

2022: ZELDIN VOTED AGAINST AUTHORIZING PROCEEDS FROM FORFEITED RUSSIAN ASSETS TO SUPPORT UKRAINE

2022: Zeldin Voted Against Authorizing Using The Proceeds From Assets Forfeited By Entities Associated With Russian President Putin To Support Rebuilding Ukraine. In July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Zeldin voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which would have “authorize[d] the use of proceeds from assets forfeited by entities associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin to help rebuild Ukraine.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote 329-101, thus the bill was sent to the Senate. The Senate did not take substantive action on the legislation. The FY 2023 Defense Authorization was passed with H.R. 7776. [House Vote 350, 7/14/22; Congressional Quarterly, 7/14/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 7900]

Lee Zeldin And Immigration

Zeldin Voted Against Measures To Support Immigrants Who Had Come To The Country As Children

2021: ZELDIN VOTED AGAINST ALLOWING DACA RECIPIENTS TO BE EMPLOYED BY LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AGENCIES

2021: Zeldin Voted Against Allowing Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals Recipients To Be Employed By Legislative Branch Agencies. In July 2021, Zeldin voted against the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2022 which would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “authorize[d] legislative branch agencies to hire individuals with employment authorization under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program; require the AOC to remove from public spaces in the Capitol all Confederate statues and busts, as well as those representing former Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney, Vice President John C. Calhoun, and others.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 215-207. [House Vote 239, 7/28/21; Congressional Quarterly, 7/28/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4346]

2018: ZELDIN EFFECTIVELY VOTED AGAINST PROVIDING A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP FOR DACA RECIPIENTS

2018: Zeldin Effectively Voted Against Providing A Pathway To Citizenship For DACA Recipients. In June 2018, Zeldin effectively voted against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “replace[d] the bill’s provisions with a system that would provide a pathway to citizenship for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.” The underlying legislation was a conservative immigration reform bill. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 191 to 234. [House Vote 281, 6/21/18; Congressional Quarterly, 6/21/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4760]

Zeldin Defended Trump’s Immigration Policies 

2023: Zeldin Said He Believed The Government Should Finish The Construction Of The Border Wall

2023: Zeldin Said He Believed The Government Should Finish The Construction Of The Border Wall. According to Spectrum News, “Like Gov. Kathy Hochul, former Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin told Capital Tonight on Tuesday he would lobby the federal government for further resources, but that’s where his policies toward migrants would diverge from the governor’s. ‘I believe we should finish construction of the border wall, end Catch & Release; enforce the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, support our customs and border patrol agents (and) stop incentivizing and rewarding illegal entry,’ Zeldin stated.” [Spectrum News, 8/9/23]