Richmond, VA -- This morning, Virginia Democratic women leaders warned in a DPVA press conference just how dangerous Hung Cao’s anti-choice agenda really is. 

Hung Cao said in a questionnaire in 2022 that he would support a national law to “protect innocent life from conception to natural death,” which would be a national abortion ban with zero exceptions for rape and incest. He said he was “thrilled” about Roe v. Wade being overturned, cheering on every state that has voted for an abortion ban since this disastrous ruling. 

Cao has compared abortion to the Holocaust and said he saw the same evil in the eyes of a bomb maker as he did a supporter of abortion rights. 

Below are remarks from this morning’s press conference: 

• Chairwoman Susan Swecker: “As Virginians are voting, we wanted to warn everyone around the Commonwealth about Hung Cao's dangerous anti-choice agenda, and to make clear that if given the chance, he would vote for an abortion ban with zero exceptions for rape and incest. When he was a candidate for Congress back in 2022, Hung Cao showed us who he was. He said he was ‘thrilled’ Roe v. Wade was overturned, cheering on every single state abortion ban that has happened as a result…He pledged in a candidate survey for the Prince William and Manassas Family Alliance voter guide that he would support a law that would protect innocent life from conception to natural death, and we all know what that means: he'd be a vote for a national abortion ban with zero exceptions for rape and incest and just think how extreme that is. Hung Cao wants to take away the freedom to choose from survivors of rape and incest. He thinks he knows better than Virginia women.”  

• Delegate Cia Price: “We know that Tim Kaine is the only candidate for United States Senator on the Virginia ballot who will stand up for reproductive freedom. His opponent is a threat to reproductive freedom all across the Commonwealth. Hung Cao, like many Republicans, has pledged their support to the most extreme and dangerous agendas, including support for a national abortion ban and ambiguity on his stance on IVF and contraception, and he continues to say dangerously and inflammatory statements like comparing abortion to the Holocaust. But instead of incendiary rhetoric, people need leaders who will protect their access to reproductive health care.”

• Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan: “But here in Congress right now, we see the same thing, every single must-pass lead piece of legislation, we have seen either House Republicans or Senate Republicans try to add further restrictions when given the opportunity to protect in vitro fertilization, Republicans in the Senate voted no. Hung Cao will be another vote to further restrict reproductive freedom, not just access to abortion, but contraception and in vitro fertilization, because, for some reason, Republicans want the decision of how, whether, and when to become a parent to be up to them and not up to the people of the United States. We're not going back to those days. We need to make sure that we elect Tim Kaine, who will protect reproductive freedom, who will ensure that we restore Roe versus Wade as the law of the land, and who understands that decisions about when, how, and whether to become a parent, what to do in the case of a miscarriage or any other health care decision should be made between a patient and their provider, not their United States Senator, not the President of the United States, and not the governor or state legislators in every other state.”

To view the full video of Chairwoman Susan Swecker’s remarks, click here. 

To view the full video of Delegate Cia Price’s remarks, click here. 

To view the full remarks of Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan’s remarks, click here.