Maryland Republican Neil Parrott voted repeatedly to criminalize abortion

Former Maryland state Del. Neil Parrott has a history of backing strict abortion bans. His anti-chioce record could become a liability in his campaign for Congress.

Parrott served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2011 to 2023. He is currently running to represent the state’s sixth district in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

In 2011, less than a month into his first term, Parrott co-sponsored House Bill 1040. The bill would have added an amendment to the Maryland Declaration of Rights establishing that life begins at conception. In other words, the bill would have given a fetus the same rights as a living person, effectively criminalizing abortion.

House Bill 1040 was similar to so-called “personhood amendments” that have been pushed by Republican lawmakers for generations. In addition to banning abortion, these laws could also threaten access to in vitro fertilization and various forms of contraception.

House Bill 1040 did not outline any exceptions for victims of rape or incest. The bill, ultimately, did not pass.

A few months later, Parrott co-sponsored House Bill 1024, which would have created criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions. This bill also did not pass, but that did not stop Parrott from backing similar laws in subsequent years.

In 2020, Parrott attempted to repeal a state law that shields doctors from state or civil penalties for performing abortions. Then, in 2022, he co-sponsored a bill to impose legal penalties on doctors who perform “prohibited abortions” and on anyone who “aids and abets” someone in obtaining the procedure. Although the bill didn’t specify what constitutes aiding or abetting, it appeared to put both medical personnel and anyone providing logistical support to abortion patients at risk of prosecution.

Between 2013 and 2019, Parrott co-sponsored eight failed attempts to ban abortion in Maryland at 20 weeks gestation. The majority of abortions performed in the United States after 20 weeks are considered medically necessary.

In June 2022, Parrott celebrated the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. The decision has empowered states to set their own abortion laws. In a video posted to Facebook, Parrott said the decision was “fantastic news” and Maryland would benefit from restricting abortion access.

“In Maryland, nothing changes, except for the ability of the Maryland legislature to use some common sense and say we should put some restrictions on abortion in Maryland,” Parrott said. “That would be a great benefit.”

Later in the video, Parrott praised the work of crisis pregnancy centers, which are nonprofit organizations that work to discourage people from getting abortions. These organizations have been criticized for providing medically inaccurate information.

As a result of the Supreme Court’s decision, 14 states currently have total abortion bans. Eight more ban the procedure at between six and 12 weeks gestation. Pregnant people living under abortion bans in the southeast often travel to Maryland to obtain the procedure. Parrott has expressed concern about this trend.

“It’s really sad that Maryland has become a destination place for people that would like abortions,” Parrott said in a September 2022 interview with EWTN.

Parrott’s campaign has been endorsed by various anti-abortion groups, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and National Right to Life.

Parrott’s Democratic opponent is April McClain-Delaney, a former Biden administration official and the wife of former Rep. John Delaney. Her website lists protecting reproductive rights as her top priority.

“April supports codifying Roe into law, and on day one, will co-sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act, which will protect and re-establish abortion rights, and ensure the future of reproductive healthcare remains safe, legal, and accessible,” the site says.

A Parrott campaign spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.