Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) made it clear Sunday morning during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he thinks even victims of rape and incest should be forced to give birth because “they’re still babies” and therefore entitled to more legal protections than the mother.
Host Dana Bash asked Ricketts about a recent attempt by Republicans in the Nebraska legislature to pass a so-called “trigger law” which would have gone into effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court:
“The abortion ban you tried to pass did not include any exceptions for rape or incest. So, can you clarify, do you think that the state of Nebraska should require a young girl who was raped to carry that pregnancy to term?”
Yes indeed, Ricketts told Bash. Nebraska, he claimed is a “pro-life” state and life begins at conception:
“Those are babies, too. If Roe v. Wade, a horrible constitutional decision, gets overturned by the Supreme Court, which we’re hopeful of, here in Nebraska we’ll take further steps to protect those preborn babies.”
Bash:
“Including in the case of rape or incest?”
Ricketts:
“They’re still babies, too. Yes, they’re still babies.”
Does that mean, Bash wondered, that Ricketts would call a special session of the legislature if Roe is overturned?
“I will work with our speaker of the legislature to have a special session and do more to protect preborn babies,” he replied. “We’ll have to see what the decision is before we could take further steps but that would certainly be my intention.”
CNN's Dana Bash: "Do you think that the state of Nebraska should require a young girl who was raped to carry that pregnancy to term?"
Gov. Pete Ricketts: "Those are babies, too."
Bash: "Including in the case of rape or incest?"
Ricketts: "Yes, they’re still babies." pic.twitter.com/iFdofhhmve
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 15, 2022
Another GOP governor also said Sunday that he too favors making rape and incest victims give birth.
On “Fox News Sunday,” according to The Daily Beast, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt proudly touted his state’s intent to make all women give birth, no matter how they were impregnated, telling Shannon Bream:
“That is a human being inside the womb,” he answered. “And we’re going to do everything we can to protect life, and love both the mother and the child. And we don’t think killing one to protect the other is the right thing to do either. And our heart is super compassionate about that.”
Super compassionate? Those are the last two words that should be applied to a situation where a victim is revictimized because she has to give birth against her will. Real compassion would be letting the pregnant woman make the decision that’s best for her, not for the extremists who want to control her uterus.
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