To the Editor:
On one of his recent taxpayer-funded postcards, Marc Molinaro quoted himself saying he’d “support strengthening laws protecting abortion.” The fine print gives the date as Halloween 2018 — when he was running for Governor. It seems that was a trick, not a treat, because Molinaro’s votes since becoming our Congressperson have done exactly the opposite.
In fact, Molinaro has voted six separate times against codifying Roe v. Wade; five times to overturn a Defense Department policy guaranteeing abortion access to service members regardless of where they are stationed; once for a bill that could imprison doctors for providing abortions; and once against protecting funding for Planned Parenthood. Instead, he’s voted to support “crisis pregnancy centers” that use extreme tactics to pressure women not to have abortions.
When Molinaro ran for Congress in 2022, he first supported a 17-week abortion ban, and then shifted to 15 weeks. That’s supposed to be the “compromise,” moderate position.
However, it does not mean — in any way — that abortion access would be guaranteed or available before 15 weeks. States could still restrict abortion before 15 weeks, but states like New York could not allow abortion after it.
If Molinaro truly supported “strengthening laws protecting abortion” back in 2018, he does not anymore. Just like Donald Trump, he’s terrified that we’ll notice.
Josh Riley actually will protect women’s autonomy and freedom. We can trust him to trust women. Let’s elect Josh Riley to Congress.
—Martha Robertson ’75, former Tompkins County Legislator
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