Dennis Bonnen, the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, neglected life-saving legislation this session and failed to pass a single bill that banned any abortions. Now, Bonnen is trying to shift the blame for his legislative failures onto any shoulders but his own, categorically lying about Texas Right to Life, which represents hundreds of thousands of Pro-Life Texans.
In a recording released today by Michael Quinn Sullivan, President of Empower Texans, Bonnen maliciously accused Texas Right to Life Director Elizabeth Graham of killing a key piece of Pro-Life legislation. This is a blatant lie. Dennis Bonnen strategically referred the Heartbeat Bill to a committee chaired by a pro-abortion Democrat, then publicly stated he is “sure as hell not going to waste [his] time” with Texas Right to Life.
Furthermore, Texas Right to Life supports the Heartbeat Bill and looks forward to passing the policy as part of our Texas Abolition Strategy. During the 86th Session, Texas Right to Life prioritized the Preborn NonDiscrimination Act (PreNDA) as the top abortion-related policy, paving the way for the Heartbeat Bill to follow as a subsequent priority, as previously explained.
Bonnen did not intend to pass any significant Pro-Life legislation that would ban any abortions. House Leadership killed PreNDA by refusing to pass the House bill out of committee and then stalling the Senate bill once passed by the upper chamber.
In their account of the scandal, Empower Texans stated, “Bonnen clearly expected to lie and get away with it like he has before.”
Dennis Bonnen must be held accountable for his duplicity, manipulation, and apathy to the cries of the innocent.
The Republican Caucus of the Texas House of Representatives will meet this Friday, October 18. Call your state representative and tell him or her to vote for a new Pro-Life speaker who is free from the corruption and mob-like tactics Dennis Bonnen was caught on tape using with Michael Quinn Sullivan.
GOP members will decide if they want a speaker of the House who so comfortably and brazenly lies to their faces. Republicans have a chance to redeem themselves by electing a new Pro-Life speaker of the Texas House — one who will walk the walk and pass life-saving legislation rather than sending these bills to hostile committees to die.