By Abby Streu

It’s no secret that labor unions donate money to political candidates.

According to the Wall Street Journal, from January 2015 to October 2016, unions spent somewhere around $108 million on campaign activities. Approximately 85 percent of that went to Democrats.

But do people think about what that money is enabling?

Americans are fairly split concerning the morality of abortion, but the Pro-Life movement in the United States is growing. According to a Gallup poll, the percentage of people who identify as “Pro-Life” has increased from 33 percent in 1995 to 46 percent in 2016. In contrast, the percentage of people who identify as “Pro-Choice” has decreased from 55 percent in 1995 to 47 percent in 2016.

Although the Pro-Life movement is growing, labor unions continue to fund anti-life candidates. Delaware’s legislature, for example, passed a bill entitled SB5 in June 2017, which amended the Title 24 abortion laws in the state. SB5 transitions state abortion laws to match the decision made in Roe v. Wade, allowing abortions up until viability, in life or death circumstances for the mother, or if the baby has physical complications. The amending of this law also ensures that abortions stay legal in Delaware in the event that the US Supreme Court ever overturns Roe v. Wade.

Delaware Governor John Carney Jr. signed SB5 into law on June 8, 2017. In addition to adjusting the terms of abortion law in Delaware to match with those created from the Roe v. Wade decision, SB5 leaves the definition of viability to the abortionist.* Nicole Theis, President of the Delaware Family Policy Council warned, “If [SB5] passes, Delaware will potentially become a magnet for late-term abortions and profiteering abortionists. There is no accountability or enforcement in the bill.”

All of the co-sponsors of this bill were Democrats except two. Delaware State Senator Bryan Townsend (D-Newark) authored the bill. In his unsuccessful primary campaign for the US House of Representatives in 2016, unions, such as the National Education Association (NEA) and Operating Engineers Union, contributed approximately $36,000 to Townsend’s campaign.

In the Delaware House of Representatives, Rep. Bryon Short (D-7^th District) and Rep. David Bentz (D-18^th District) co-sponsored the bill. Short received donations from around 20 different unions, including the Delaware AFL-CIO and Teamsters Local 326, when he ran for the Delaware House in 2008, which total to $12,835. Rep. Bentz received donations from 10 different unions in his 2016 campaign, including American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 81 and Electrical Workers Local 313, totaling to $5,350.

In the Delaware Senate, sponsors of the bill include Senators Margaret Rose Henry (D-2^nd District) and Stephanie Hansen (D-10^th District) in addition to Townsend. Senator Henry raked in around $5,600 from 13 different unions, such as Sheetmetal Workers Local 19 and the Delaware Education Association, for her 2014 campaign. In addition, Planned Parenthood of Delaware also donated $100 to her campaign in 2013.

Senator Hansen was endorsed by Delaware State AFL-CIO, Delaware Building Trades, Delaware United, Delaware State Education Association, and District Council of Delaware Laborers. Hansen was elected in a special election in 2017. Her campaign received ample help from the group EMILY’s List, which aims to help pro-choice women win seats in public office.

Governor John Carney, who signed SB5 into law, received $54,600 in his 2014 gubernatorial campaign from unions such as the Communication Workers of America and the NEA.

In 2016, Planned Parenthood of Delaware released their endorsement list for the year, which included Governor Carney and State Rep. Short.

In 2016 Planned Parenthood also endorsed Delaware’s sole United States House Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Delaware), who stated during her 2016 campaign, “As a young woman I relied on Planned Parenthood for my health needs. I know I am not alone. We cannot afford to let politicians in Washington try and drag us back to the last century.” Representative Rochester received a hefty sum of $91,250 from unions, such as the American Postal Workers Union and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), for her 2016 victory into the House of Representatives.

The trend of unions supporting anti-life politicians in Delaware is consistent across the entire country. Three of the largest labor unions in America (AFSCME, UFCW, and SEIU) together donated $435,000 to Planned Parenthood in 2014. Planned Parenthood performed a shocking 323,999 abortions from 2014 to 2015.

Pro-Life voters and workers in Delaware and across the country should take note that unions, far from defending the rights of workers, are actively funding the killing of those workers’ children.

*This sentence was added on June 22, 2017 at 4:57pm to add clarification to the quote.