GOP Men Target Women’s Rights — Again
Remember when House Republicans held a hearing on birth control and only had men testify?
Well, here’s what the group of lawmakers who held a hearing today on an unconstitutional 20-week abortion ban looked like:
Looks familiar, doesn’t it?
Chairing today’s hearing was Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) who is championing a blatantly unconstitutional nationwide ban on abortion after 20 weeks. Franks has worked for years to take away women’s constitutionally protected rights, especially for women living in the District of Columbia, but today’s hearing was particularly galling. Just this week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a similar ban enacted by Franks’ home state of Arizona is unquestionably unconstitutional and permanently prohibited the state from enforcing it.
These men showed about as much sensitivity as one would expect. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) told a female witness that even though her fetus had no brain function she should have waited and given birth anyway.
The all-male lineup shown above echoes another anti-abortion event to tout Franks’ bill held by Republicans yesterday. It was also dominated by men.
Meanwhile, across the Potomac in Virginia, Republicans just chose three viciously anti-abortion, anti-gay men to fill their slate for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
BOTTOM LINE: Women have the right to make their own health care decisions, so it’s time for Republican men and their allies to drop their war on women.
(Photo credit to Laura Bassett.)
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