After years spent raising money for pro-abortion politicians, radical leftist Laphonza Butler has been rewarded with her own Senate seat.
The passing of longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) has prematurely ushered in a change to the California senate delegation. Because her seat is not up for election until 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom, rumored to be a potential Democrat presidential candidate should President Biden choose not to run, is tasked with appointing someone to fill the seat in the meantime.
Newsom had options. None of them good. Among those who announced their candidacies were Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California 30) of Russia hoax fame, Rep. Katie Porter (D-California 47), longtime protégé of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California 12), who once campaigned for the Black Panthers and who currently represents one of the most liberal districts in the nation.
None of these possible replacements for Sen. Feinstein would be champions for life, women, or Christian values in Congress. But they were apparently not radical enough for Gov. Newsom. He selected a woman with a career path even more radical than any of them: Laphonza Butler.
The Governor cited Butler as “an advocate for women and girls.” Read rabid pro-abortion advocate into that. As the leader of the nation’s largest pro-abortion advocacy organization, Butler is most definitely not pro-family or pro-woman.
Butler currently serves as the President of EMILY’s List, a fundraising machine dedicated to electing pro-abortion women to office. In 2020 alone, EMILY’s List spent $112 million on campaign expenditures, and for the 2022 midterms they partnered with Planned Parenthood and NARAL to raise $150 million for pro-abortion candidates. Since 1985, EMILY’s list has mobilized for, funded, and trained candidates at the federal, state, and local level who dedicate their political careers to promoting abortion.
In her role as president, Butler has publicly advocated for extreme legislation such as the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would legalize abortion nationwide with no restrictions. She also stated that the overturning of Roe v. Wade was a “tragic day” that would “have sweeping consequences for millions of Americans.” The consequence she laments is, of course, the fact that millions of babies now get the chance to live thanks to that Supreme Court ruling.
Prior to her tenure at EMILY’s List, Butler was a senior advisor to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, which received over $10 million from the abortion lobby in 2020 alone.
But despite her dedication to expanding abortion access, Butler’s tenure at EMILY’s list proves that it’s not the winning issue it once was. She oversaw a major rebrand of the organization which included a shift in messaging from just abortion to embracing voting rights, economic health, and climate justice. She acknowledged that voters are not “single-issue people.” It’s a sign that while Butler’s appointment adds one more extreme pro-abortion voice to the halls of the Senate, her view that abortion should be legal until birth is not shared by the majority of the country.
Butler’s interim appointment will only last until a senator is elected via a to-be-scheduled special election. Although, because she will be a candidate in such a blue state with Gov. Newsom’s de facto blessing, she could expect to do well if she were to run. But the seat will still be up for election in 2024, at which point she will have to face any other candidates for the position. One thing is certain, it will be hard to find anyone more radical than Butler on the issue of life.