Cori Bush Is Leading the Charge Against the Comstock Act. The Man Who Beat Her in a Primary Doesn’t Seem to Know What It Is.

Wesley Bell could not answer Jezebel's questions about a 19th century anti-abortion law that Bush has called to repeal.

By Susan Rinkunas  |  August 23, 2024 | 10:33am
Photo: Getty Images AbortionPolitics Democratic National Convention
Cori Bush Is Leading the Charge Against the Comstock Act. The Man Who Beat Her in a Primary Doesn’t Seem to Know What It Is.

CHICAGO — Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is a reproductive justice champion who was the first member of Congress after the Dobbs decision to call to repeal the Comstock Act, a dormant 1873 law that a future Donald Trump administration could enforce to ban abortion pills, and possibly all procedural abortions, too. Project 2025 calls on the next conservative president to enforce Comstock, and there are House and Senate bills to strip abortion language from the law.

But earlier this month, she lost her primary to Wesley Bell, a county prosecutor whose campaign received at least $8.5 million from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group that’s spent millions this cycle to try to unseat Democrats who’ve spoken out against Israel’s genocide on Gaza. AIPAC’s contributions to Bell made it the fifth most expensive primary in history.

Jezebel previously reported that AIPAC has endorsed more than 200 anti-abortion congressional Republicans this cycle alone. In 2006, Bell managed the campaign of an anti-abortion Republican candidate, and in 2013 and 2014 he donated to now-Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher’s (R) campaign to unseat a Democrat.

After Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic nomination on Thursday night, Bell happened to be in the lobby of the hotel where Jezebel writers were staying during the Democratic National Convention. So, I approached him in front of the reception desk shortly after 1 a.m. CT, showed him my press badge, and said that Bush had a strong record on abortion rights, including the Comstock Act, before asking him if he had a stance on the law.

Bell asked, “for reproductive rights?” Sensing that he was struggling to respond, I asked, “Can you tell me what the Comstock Act is?” And he could not.

I asked if he had a card for a communications staffer I could follow up with and he said they’d given them all out, but gave me the email address I should contact.

Finally, I asked if there were positions that Bush has taken on abortion that he disagrees with; he said he agrees with her on that subject.

I contacted the campaign for comment early Friday morning about whether Bell will co-sponsor the bill to repeal Comstock after he’s sworn in. We’ll update this story if they respond.

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