WATCH: Gov. Greg Abbott Gives Stunning Answer When Asked About Texas Abortion Law’s Lack of Rape and Incest Exception
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) gave reporters a stunning reason for why Texas’ new abortion law lacks exceptions for those who were impregnated through rape or incest.
The Texas governor was asked about his state’s recently imposed, and highly limiting, abortion laws while signing another controversial bill, which details restrictive voting measures, into law.
“Governor, regarding the heartbeat bill, why force a rape or incest victim to carry a pregnancy to term?” Abbott was asked on Tuesday while taking questions on the new voting bill.
Answering the question, Abbott claimed that the law, which bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy and puts any person who aided the procedure at legal risk, does not require that from victims “at all.”
“It provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion,” Abbott reasoned, adding, “That said, however, let’s make something very clear. Rape is a crime, and Texas will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas by aggressively going out and arresting them and prosecuting them and getting them off the streets.”
Yes, in an attempt to justify the law’s lack of exemption for victims, Abbott promised to one day rid Texas of every single rapist that has ever walked the state’s streets.
“Goal number one in the state of Texas is to eliminate rape so that no woman, no person would be a victim of rape,” Abbott added before saying that his state has organizations meant to provide support to victims.
But until Abbott finds all the rapists and abolishes rape from the state of Texas, victims will still be forced to carry their pregnancies to term if they fail to realize they are pregnant before six weeks.
According to Dr. Sarah Horvath, a family planning fellow at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, it’s hard for those not actively trying to get pregnant, such as victims of rape, to realize they are carrying at six weeks.
Dr. Dana R. Gossett, the vice chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco has further noted that some pregnancy symptoms, such as fatigue and nausea, typically “don’t start until after six weeks.”
“What are they supposed to do?” Gossett asked. “Check pregnancy tests every four or five weeks?”
Watch Abbott above, via ABC affiliate KLTV.
