Congressman Steve King is claiming that his comments on rape were taken out of context by the popular news site Talking Points Memo (they were not), and has offered a full transcript from an Iowa reporter to TPM.
The New Civil Rights Movement reported today:
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€
Congressman King’s comments are actually worse than first reported. Apparently, King thinks it’s OK for taxpayers to decide what they want to fund — or not fund.
Via The Hill:
“What he was saying was he personally does not know a girl who was raped,” King spokeswoman Brittany Lesser said. “He never says, ‘I’ve never heard of that.’ There’s a fine line between ‘I’ve never heard of that’ and ‘I don’t know personally anybody who’s been raped.’ There’s a difference. There is a difference.”
The full context of King’s remarks, as provided to TPM by the local broadcaster:
REPORTER: You support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act that would provide federal funding for abortions to a person that has been forcefully raped. But what if someone isn’t forcibly raped and, for example, a 12-year-old who gets pregnant? Should she have to bring this baby to term?
KING: Well, I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way and I’d be open to hearing discussion about that subject matter. Generally speaking it’s this: that there [are] millions of abortions in this country every year. Millions of them are paid for at least in part by taxpayers. I think it’s immoral for us to compel conscientious objecting taxpayers to fund abortion through the federal government, or any other government for that matter. So that’s my stand. And if there are exceptions there, then bring me those exceptions, let’s talk about it. In the meantime it’s wrong for us to compel pro-life people to pay taxes to fund abortion.
Let’s ignore for a moment the debate as to whether any federal funds are used to pay for abortions — in whole or part.
No doubt there are millions of conscientious objecting taxpayers who don’t want to fund wars. Or, the federal United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).