Anti-Abortion Lawmaker Slams Removal of Rape and Incest Exemptions from Bill: ‘It Really Disgusts Me’

Republican South Carolina state Senator Katrina Shealy delivered a blistering speech after her party removed language from an anti-abortion bill that would have included exceptions for pregnant women who are victims of rape or incest.

Democrats on the committee that reviewed the legislation allowed the language to be removed after refusing to vote with moderate Republicans to keep the exceptions. Those Democrats also voted to send the near-total abortion ban to the floor for debate and a vote, where the exceptions can be restored.

“We think by highlighting the fact a bunch of extreme, Republican men are trying to control women’s decisions in South Carolina — they need to own that. The governor needs to own that,” said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto.

Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, Shealy ripped her Republican colleagues.

“The fact is, I don’t want anyone in this room making life and death decisions for me, my daughter, my granddaughter, or for that fact, anyone,” Shealy stated. “I also do not want the person I choose as my medical professional to stop in the middle of a procedure and request the South Carolina code of laws to decide if he can proceed or if he may be committing a crime, punishable by a fine or time in prison.”

Take 4 minutes to watch South Carolina State Sen. Katrina Shealy (R) respond to the legislature removing exceptions for rape and incest in the state’s proposed abortion ban.

“I think you’re miscommunicating with God, or maybe you’re just not communicating with him at all.” pic.twitter.com/cUNDgfORl3

— The Recount (@therecount) September 7, 2022

Shealy cited the case of a 10-year-old girl in South Carolina who was raped and impregnated by her 13-year-old brother.

“She was forced to have a baby at 10 years old,” she said. “The chances that this young girl’s reproductive system of ever being normal and her having children with someone she really loves have greatly diminished, not to mention her psychological damage. But the South Carolina legislature? We know best.”

Shealy went on to say she’s “pro-life,” but added, “I’m also pro-life of the mother, the life she has with her children who are already born. I care about the children who are forced into adulthood that was made up by a legislature that was full of men so they can take a victory lap and feel good about it.”

She added:

You will forget about them once they are born. You will fight my legislation on foster homes and adoption. You will not support legislation to stop sex trafficking and pornography. You will not support my legislation for free meals for all children in schools. You’re not gonna help me on that.

If you want to believe that God is wanting you to push a bill through with no exception that kills mothers and ruins the lives of children, let’s mothers bring home babies to bury them, then I think you’re miscommunicating with God, or maybe you’re just not communicating with him at all.

I know we disagree on a lot of issues, but hearing you talk about menstrual cycles, conception, how you know when you’re egg is fertilized, or having a baby, I gotta tell you. It really disgusts me.

Shealy sarcastically concluded, “Instead of letting a doctor decide, the best method of care for that child is the South Carolina legislature. We think we can do a better job. Well, I just don’t agree.”

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