{"id":293305,"date":"2023-06-20T16:40:39","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T21:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=293305"},"modified":"2023-06-20T22:53:20","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T03:53:20","slug":"north-carolina-lawmaker-miscarriage-abortion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/north-carolina-lawmaker-miscarriage-abortion\/","title":{"rendered":"North Carolina lawmaker accused of lying about an abortion after switching parties"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A North Carolina politician switched parties from Democratic to Republican earlier this year \u2014\u00a0and now, she\u2019s being accused of lying about an abortion.<\/p>\n

In April, Tricia Cotham left the Democratic Party and joined the GOP. Many speculated that it was due to Democrats\u2019 increasing extremism on abortion, though Cotham had previously been endorsed<\/span><\/a> by the pro-abortion EMILY\u2019S List. Cotham herself mostly remained quiet about the issue, beyond insinuating that Democrats all but forced her out, particularly singling out Governor Roy Cooper as being too controlling. <\/span><\/p>\n

When a pro-life bill protecting preborn children from abortion came up for a vote this spring, Cotham voted in favor<\/span><\/a> of it, saying it struck a \u201creasonable balance.\u201d Her vote helped to override Cooper\u2019s veto. <\/span><\/p>\n

Previously, Cotham had voted in favor of codifying <\/span>Roe v. Wade<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though Cotham appears to still support abortion\u2019s legalization, she is coming under fire for previous comments she made in 2015 concerning the loss of her preborn baby.<\/p>\n

\"Target<\/a><\/p>\n

A ‘likely not viable’ pregnancy<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a 2015 speech, Cotham argued against<\/em> a 72-hour waiting period for abortion and cited her own experience as to why she opposed such a bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first pregnancy ended in an induced physician-assisted miscarriage, while I served in this chamber,\u201d she said at the time. “It\u2019s not the type of miscarriage that we often think of where you lose the baby completely and it\u2019s over. That\u2019s not what happened. My doctor told me that my pregnancy would likely not be viable and that if I did not take swift medical action my life and any hope of future babies would be in severe danger. I trusted my doctor and her medical expertise. The time-sensitive medical process, procedures that I had to endure began immediately and it was awful. And it didn’t work. The doctor told me that I had to take more aggressive medical action. This would require a hospital check-in, hospital stay, procedures, and even chemotherapy. It was awful. It was painful. And it was sad. And it is and was personal. But I knew and I trusted that God had a plan for me. This decision was up to me, my husband, my doctor, and my God. It was not up to any of you in this chamber.”<\/p>\n

Her speech would later be used by Time Magazine<\/a> in an article about lawmakers sharing their own abortion stories:<\/p>\n

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On April 23, 2015, NC Rep. Tricia Cotham delivers emotional speech in opposition to proposed waiting periods for women seeking abortions. She shares personal story. \u201cThis decision was up to me, my husband, my doctor and my God. It was not up to any of you in this chamber.\u201d #ncpol<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/2Of51R7amX<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Bryan Anderson (@BryanRAnderson) April 5, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n