Rep. Steve King Hasn’t Ever Heard Of Children Getting Pregnant Via Rape
Editor’s note:
Read our update: Steve King: ‘It’s wrong for us to compel pro-life people to pay taxes to fund abortion’
Congressman Steve King, who has not denounced his colleague Todd Akin‘s rape comments, told a reporter in his home state of Iowa he hasn’t ever heard of a child getting pregnant via statutory rape or incest. King is Tea Party Republican and the most conservative Republican in the House.
Noting that King “might agree with parts of Akin’s assertion” that women can stop themselves from becoming pregnant in cases of “legitimate” rape (or, now, as Akin has “updated” his comments, “forcible” rape,) Talking Points Memo reports:
“Well I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way,†King told KMEG-TV Monday, “and I’d be open to discussion about that subject matter.â€
A Democratic source flagged King’s praise of Akin in the KMEG interview to TPM. But potentially more controversial for King is his suggestion that pregnancies from statutory rape or incest don’t exist or happen rarely. A 1996 review by the Guttmacher Institute found “at least half of all babies born to minor women are fathered by adult men.â€
The tie between statutory rape and teen pregnancy has been the subject of ad campaigns from groups like United Way.
H.R. 3, the bill co-sponsored by King, Akin and Paul Ryan in 2011, originally called for an exemption in the federal ban on abortion funding only in the case of “forcible rape.†That language was dropped after pressure from women’s advocates and Democrats. At the time, the Republican sponsors of the legislation weren’t too interested in discussing their reasoning for the wording.
King’s comments offer a window into the thinking behind the language, as well as the general belief in the different categories of rape that provoked Akin’s recent controversial comments about “legitimate rape†and the factually wrong idea that a woman’s body can prevent a pregnancy from rape.
In the KMEG interview, King defended Akin as “a strong Christian man, with a wonderful family†and appeared to push back on those calling for Akin to drop out of the Missouri Senate race.
“I think this election should be about: How did Todd Akin vote and what did he vote for and what did he stand for?†King said. “In this case, I’m seeing the same thing, petty, personal attacks substituting for strong policy.â€
Â
One Twitter user had this response:
Rep. .
@stevekingia says he would like to hear real, personal examples of rape or incest of a minor leading to pregnancy – 202-225-4266— MJL62 (@mjl62) August 21, 2012
Â
https://youtube.com/watch?v=K2Z-1skzVog%3Fversion%3D3%26hl%3Den_US

Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.
![]() |