Fact check: Republican North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer supports some exceptions to abortion bans

The declare: Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer mentioned there must be no exceptions to abortion bans, that “fetus is price dropping the mom’s life”

Within the flood of debate on social media that adopted the leak of a draft Supreme Court docket opinion suggesting the excessive court docket will overturn Roe v. Wade, one unverified, unsourced declare in regards to the supposed place of a Republican senator prompted widespread outrage.

“NEW: Republican U.S. Senator from North Dakota Kevin Cramer says the fetus is price dropping the mom’s life, says there isn’t any exceptions,” reads a May 5 tweet from Chris Evans (@notcapnamerica) that was later deleted.

Evans’ tweet, which appeared to be the origin of the declare, was retweeted greater than 11,000 instances and reshared on Instagram, Fb and Twitter by quite a few political accounts and figures, together with Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

“These pretend righteous are simply as eager to let kids die in poverty, hungry, with no medical care,” reads an Instagram publish from liberal activist web page That is Not Proper that features a screenshot of the tweet. “That is singularly about controlling girls’s place in society, and punishing them for any sexuality outdoors their excessive evangelical idea.”

The publish has accrued greater than 3,700 likes since Could 5.

However the unfold of the declare is yet one more instance of how outrage and different robust feelings can go hand-in-hand with misinformation: USA TODAY discovered no proof that Cramer, who opposes abortion however has expressed help for some exceptions to a complete ban on the process, made the assertion circulating on Twitter.

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USA TODAY reached out to a number of customers who shared the declare for remark. Gallego deleted the tweet after studying it was inaccurate, his spokesperson, Jacques Petit, wrote in an e-mail to USA TODAY.

Cramer helps some exceptions, by no means made assertion claimed in publish

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Neither USA TODAY nor different fact-checking retailers discovered proof that Cramer has made a press release resembling the one within the publish, and no proof has emerged to help the declare.

The senator’s spokesperson, Molly Block, known as the declare “false info” and famous its origin was “a random tweet from a non-news supply with completely zero attribution,” in an e-mail to USA TODAY.

Cramer, who has served in Congress since 2013, has constantly voted for and supported restrictions on abortion. He earned an A+ for this record from the Susan B. Anthony Listing, which charges politicians primarily based on their opposition to abortion.

Nonetheless, he helps exceptions to abortion bans in instances of mortal hazard to the mom, based on his latest file and public statements. Cramer strengthened this place in a podcast launched Could 6.

“If you happen to’re pro-life, you’re going to be pro-the-mom’s-life, in addition to the unborn youngster’s life,” Cramer mentioned in an episode of Plain Speak with Rob Port. “Saving the mom’s life is a really apparent exemption.”

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Cramer’s latest file traces up with these statements.

In 2021, he co-sponsored the Defending Life and Taxpayers Act, which bans the usage of federal funds for abortion besides in instances of mortal hazard to the mom, rape or incest. He additionally co-signed a friend-of-the-court temporary in help of Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of being pregnant, which makes an exception for instances by which the mom’s doctor certifies she can be in mortal hazard with out an abortion.

Our score: False

Based mostly on our analysis, we price FALSE the declare that Cramer mentioned there must be no exceptions to abortion bans and {that a} “fetus is price dropping the mom’s life.” Cramer’s spokesperson mentioned he made no such assertion, and USA TODAY discovered no proof that Cramer has mentioned something to that impact. Cramer has mentioned he helps exceptions in instances of mortal hazard to the mom and co-sponsored laws in 2021 that additionally had exceptions for rape and incest.

Our fact-check sources:

• Congress.Gov, accessed Could 10, S.2270 – Defending Life and Taxpayers Act of 2021

• Verify Your Truth, Could 9, Truth Verify: Did North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer Say Saving A Fetus Is Value Shedding The Mom’s Life?

• InForum, Could 6, Plain Speak: Sen. Cramer talks Roe v. Wade, Jan. 6, meals shortages, and Ukraine

• Sen. Kevin Cramer Press Launch, Feb. 22, Press launch: Sen. Cramer Votes In opposition to Abortion On Demand Till Delivery Act

• Sen. Kevin Cramer, July 30, 2021, Press launch: Sen. Cramer Joins Over 200 Members of Congress to File Amicus Transient Urging Supreme Court docket to Uphold Mississippi Professional-Life Regulation

• Molly Block, Could 10, Electronic mail assertion to USA TODAY

• Sen. Kevin Cramer, Jan. 19, Tweet

• USA TODAY, Could 3, Supreme Court docket verifies authenticity of leaked opinion in abortion case however says determination not closing

• USA TODAY, Dec. 1, 2021, Supreme Court docket indicators help for Mississippi 15-week abortion ban with Roe v. Wade in steadiness

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Our fact-check work is supported partially by a grant from Fb.

This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Truth verify: Viral publish misattributes view to Sen. Kevin Cramer