“I was [incredibly grateful] I was able to make those choices free from government interference, free from the overreach of people who just wanted to score political points,” Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) told Ms.
If there had been a 15-week national abortion ban—a move Republicans have repeatedly eyed—in place at the time that U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) was 14 weeks pregnant, she would have never been given the freedom, space and time to make the choice not to have an abortion.
At 14 weeks gestation, Scholten learned that her daughter had Turner’s Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that was likely incompatible with life.
“There are no words to describe how your world gets ended in that moment. You go from thinking about baby names and nursery colors, to thinking about what it would be like to raise a child with severe disabilities or if your child is even going to survive,” Scholten told Ms. “Nothing throws you into the deep end of motherhood like that.”
Scholten was given the option to have an abortion. But, due to the less restrictive abortion laws in Michigan, Scholten was able to choose not to have an abortion, confidently knowing that she could have one later down the road if she needed to.
“It’s important to remember that these artificial timelines put parents on a constrained roadmap to make decisions about their life,” said Scholten, “including whether and how to continue a complicated pregnancy.”
As we talk about reproductive freedom more broadly, it was really important for me to show that when we talk about choice, one of those choices is actually not choosing an abortion.
U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten
In 2022, Scholten went public with her story, providing a reminder that a pro-choice or pro-abortion stance can also mean choosing to give birth after all.
“I decided to share my story about my pregnancy complications and the choices that my husband and I made, because as we talk about reproductive freedom more broadly, it was really important for me to show that when we talk about choice, one of those choices is actually not choosing an abortion,” Scholten told Ms.
“I think it made me recognize how incredibly grateful I was that I was able to make those choices free from government interference, free from the overreach of people who just wanted to score political points, and how I was free to make the best decision for me and my family, which in my case was to choose not to have an abortion and to give our daughter every chance at life that we possibly could.”
Michigan’s Abortion Landscape
It is easy for Scholten to imagine how her story might have turned out differently. In the early days post-Roe, Michigan’s abortion laws hung in the balance. Not only is Michigan a swing state, but in the wake of Roe’s overturn, the state had a 1931 trigger law in place. It was permanently enjoined as unconstitutional, then eventually repealed in April 2023.
“There was a period of time when we were literally watching our rights sort of ping pong back and forth between the courts … so it was almost county by county here in Michigan, hospital by hospital,” said Scholten.
This space, more than any, deserves to be free from the influence of bitter, hyperpartisan politicking.
Rep. Scholten
In November 2022, Michigan voters showed up to protect abortion rights, effectively passing the Right to Reproductive Freedom ballot measure and enshrining reproductive freedom into the state’s Constitution. Today, Michigan is an island for abortion care as its neighbors—Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin—all ban abortion at some point during the term.
Scholen said that Roe’s overturn shocked Michigan voters—the decision became “a watershed moment where people were waking up to the reality of how their rights changed.”
“We put a lot of emphasis and almost pressure on swing state voters, but there’s also a lot of excitement and enthusiasm as well,” she said. “We know that we have an important role to play, and we take our democracy seriously here in Michigan.”
It’s really important for me to talk about being a Christian and a pro-choice Democrat, and how those two things … can and very much do exist together.
U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten
“What parents deserve to have is time to make fact-based, science-based decisions with the support of their family, within the parameters of their own religious leanings or not if they don’t have them, and of course, under the advice and consultation of their doctor. This space, more than any, deserves to be free from the influence of bitter, hyperpartisan politicking.”
Where Religion Meets Reproductive Rights
That being said, Scholten noted that abortion shouldn’t be an issue entrenched in partisan politics or in any particular religion.
Scholten shared how her faith and her stance on abortion line up: “I am a Christian. I was raised in the church, raising my kids in the church, and it’s really important for me to talk about being a Christian and a pro-choice Democrat, and how those two things, you don’t have to suspend one to be the other; they can and very much do exist together.”
“In our country, we do not elevate one religion over the other, and the importance of making sure that choice is available and accessible to all, regardless of whether they’re choosing to continue their pregnancy or have an abortion, should not be based on one particular view of one particular religion.”
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