Congressman Tony Gonzales wants to ‘get off the abortion conversation’
After a federal judge in Texas moved to ban a drug used for abortions, Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales made an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Easter Sunday telling women to “get off the abortion conversation” and to focus on other issues affecting women.
CNN correspondent Dana Bash asked him “Are they just on their own if this ruling is upheld?”
“No, I think it’s important that we take care of women,” Gonzales replied.“It’s important that we have real discussions on women’s healthcare and get off the abortion … conversation. Women have a whole lot more other issues than just abortion.”
On Friday, April 7, a judge approved to end the distribution of a drug known as mifepristone, which is used for medication abortions and miscarriage treatment. According to the FDA, the drug, which has been approved for use for over 20 years, works to end pregnancies for individuals who are no more than 10 weeks in gestation by blocking an essential hormone needed to continue the pregnancy. However, mifepristone is only one half of the abortion regimen.
On Wednesday, April 12, the U.S. Court of Appeals made the decision to not withhold access to the drug, but kept new restrictions on the drug being delivered through the mail in place, according to filings with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Following Gonzalez’s comment of supporting states’ rights, he paused when asked a followup question pertaining to how the federal government’s ruling would limit access to the drug in states once it’s put into practice.
“Isn’t a federal judge saying on a national level that a pill cannot be administered the opposite of states’ rights,” Bash asked Gonzales.
When asked, Gonzales brought up the Texas Senate Bill 8, which went into effect in September 2021. The law prevents doctors from performing abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks.
The law was enacted prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which put abortion rights back into the hands of state governments. In response to the new precedent, Texas executed a trigger law banning abortion unless the individual is placed in a life-threatening situation caused by the pregnancy.
“The states started this … The state’s had their ruling and now the federal government is coming in and dictating theirs,” said Gonzales, who describes himself as a prolific pro-lifer in the interview.
