Rep. Brandon Williams: My position on abortion (Guest opinion)

I consider myself incredibly lucky. For over 30 years, I have been blessed with a wonderful wife, Stephanie. She is not only my partner, but also my best friend, and one of the greatest gifts she has given me has been becoming a father.

Stephanie and I got married while I was in the Navy. My service didn’t stop us from wanting to expand our family, but it did mean that we did it in a slightly unconventional way. When I was in the Navy, I served on a submarine with no access to the outside world for months at a time. Meaning, when Stephanie was pregnant, she was alone… a lot of the time. It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone—not the mother, who faces such a joyous yet daunting time alone, or the father, who feels helpless being so far away. But, as always, Stephanie handled it with grace.

When I finished my mission and got to land, I ran to the pay phone (I know I was getting delirious). I was so excited to talk to Stephanie for the first time in months, to hear about our precious unborn child. What awaited me was a phone call I never expected. While I was gone, Stephanie received troubling news from her doctors about possible complications with the pregnancy. There was uncertainty about whether our baby would be viable. Stephanie was alone, forced to make incredibly difficult decisions without me there.

Stephanie decided to take the risk and go ahead with the pregnancy. It hurt my heart to know that I wasn’t there for her at such a vulnerable time for her, but it also filled me with pride to know that she had been able to handle this scary situation on her own. Her decision to continue with the pregnancy led to the birth of a beautiful, healthy baby girl. We are incredibly lucky and will be forever grateful.

I say all of this to inform voters why I am personally pro-life. I believe that every life is precious and that we should do everything we can to protect it. That doesn’t mean I think abortion is a dirty word. In fact, I believe in exceptions for abortion in cases of rape, incest, or death of the mother. And above all, I am a constitutionalist. I agree with the decision to return abortion law to the states after the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling. I have always been clear on this: I do not support a national ban on abortion, and I will never take action, as a member of the federal government, to override the will of New York voters. In New York, voters have made their position on abortion clear, and it remains legal. As your congressman, it is not my role to question that decision.

What I see as part of my role is making life more affordable and easier for people who want to start a family. It’s one of the reasons I keep talking about fighting inflation. I support access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) – it’s personal to me and those close to me, and I think it’s a medical marvel that should be available to anyone who needs it. Becoming a parent was the best moment of my life, and I hope as many people as possible can experience that joy if they choose to.

I support tax exemption for baby and toddler items, as well as providing tax subsidies for child care to ease the burden on families as they grow. I also advocate for streamlining foster care and adoption services to ensure we are truly pro-life by supporting children throughout their lives and helping them find safe, loving homes.

There will be a lot of talk and hearing about abortion this election cycle. It is a very important issue for many voters and I think it is misleading to hide behind misleading ads or outright lies, so I wanted to make my point clear and concise.

Personally, I am pro-life, with exceptions, I do not support a national abortion ban, and I believe we can do more to help working women and families.

I hope that even if you don’t agree with my point of view, at least now you know where I stand and don’t believe everything you see on TV. I want you to know that I am eternally fortunate and grateful to have served our country, to fight for the families of Central New York, and to be a father. May you and your families be blessed.