Instead of saying no, he said, “I think we have to take into account, take into consideration, the baby. A human being. And I know, I know a lot of you don’t agree with that. That would be my decision even though you’ve obviously set up the most extreme and difficult example and that’s fine.”
The problem with Garrett’s answer about the question being the “most extreme and difficult example” is that it actually does happen, and the law he voted for and Governor Kim Reynolds signed places enough significant restrictions on abortion that it could, in fact, force a young girl to carry a pregnancy from rape or incest to term.
It’s clear that Garrett’s answer, while being drastically out of step with the majority of Iowans, reflects a commonly held position in his party.
In an interview with IPTV, Governor Reynolds refused to say that there should be exceptions to her extreme abortion law for cases of rape or incest. She has also stated that she’s open to punishing doctors who perform abortion the same way murderers are punished:
Should the doctors and women involved in the abortion get a ticket, a fine, or should they be executed?
“I think that we would take a look and make sure that the punishment met the crime,” Reynolds said.
“Every woman, every American, has the right to make their own decisions about their own bodies. End of story,” said Iowa Democratic Party Spokesperson Tess Seger.
“Unfortunately, Iowa Republicans, led by Governor Reynolds, think their opinions are more important to private healthcare decisions than Iowa women’s and their doctors’. This issue has been settled since 1973. We cannot allow Governor Reynolds, Senator Garrett, or anyone else to take us back, especially in the most dire of cases.”