One of the most maddening aspects of the Republican plot to control women’s bodies is that, in many cases, these people couldn’t pass a ninth-grade biology class (and oftentimes, it’s more like fifth grade). Yes, from claiming an ectopic pregnancy can be reimplanted to suggesting that the anatomy of a human female is no different from that of, say, a dog or a horse, the conservatives trying to take away reproductive rights and bodily autonomy often have no idea what the f--k they’re talking about. And Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville is obviously no exception.
When asked on Thursday if he had “a reaction to the Alabama Supreme Court ruling on the fact that embryos are children,” Tuberville said, “Yeah, I was all for it. We need to have more kids, we need to have an opportunity to do that, and I thought this was the right thing to do.” Informed that IVF is a method by which people are able to have children when they otherwise could not, and that some clinics have paused the procedure as a result of the ruling, Tuberville responded, “Well, that’s for another conversation. We need more kids. We need people to have the opportunity to have kids.”
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After another reporter asked what he had to “say to the women right now in Alabama who no longer have access to IVF, and will not, as a result of this ruling,” a clearly stumped Tuberville answered: “That’s a hard one. It really is. Really hard. ’Cause, again, you want people to have that opportunity…. We need more kids.”
In fairness to Tuberville, facts have long struggled to penetrate his brain, so this was always going to be a tough one for him to wrap his mind around. But to be clear, the Alabama ruling that frozen embryos have the same rights as living children will not, in fact, lead to “more kids,” because IVF clinics are already halting the procedure due to the now very real risk of criminal prosecution. In announcing its decision on Wednesday to have its health system pause treatments, the University of Alabama at Birmingham said it was doing so in direct response to the decision by the state Supreme Court. “We are saddened that this will impact our patients’ attempt to have a baby through IVF, but we must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments,” the university said. (In its 7-2 decision, the Alabama Supreme Court said that individuals could be punished for the destruction of embryos under the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, which it said “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.”)
While it is ironic that the decision is being applauded by people who claim to be “pro-life,” given that it will lead to fewer children being born, conservatives are undoubtedly thrilled by the fact that the ruling may be used to further restrict abortion.
Still, it appears that at least a handful of Republicans—Nikki Haley not among them—realize just how bad a look this ruling—and its fallout—is. GOP representative Nancy Mace told Axios, “We should do everything we can to protect IVF for women everywhere. We are currently drafting a resolution to express our sentiment and then looking at legislative options.” Representative Nick LaLota told the outlet the ruling “goes too far,” while Representative Don Bacon said he wants to “give those who want to be moms and dads that opportunity. Therefore, I do not support restrictions on IVF.”
On Thursday, Joe Biden blasted the ruling, with Kamala Harris laying the blame directly on Donald Trump. “Ask who’s to blame,” she said, “and I’ll answer that question: When you look at the fact that the previous president of the United States was clear in his intention to handpick three Supreme Court justices who would overturn the protections of Roe v. Wade. And he did it. And that’s what got us to this point today.”
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