Texas Governor Greg Abbott denied that Texas's restrictive new abortion law would force rape or incest victims to carry their pregnancies to term because women have 'at least six weeks' to get a termination, after he was asked about it on Tuesday.
At a bill signing for the state's new election security legislation, a reporter asked Abbott why the state would 'force' victims of heinous sex crimes like rape and incest to give birth.
'It doesn't require that at all, because obviously it provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion, so for one it doesn't provide that,' Abbott replied.
'That said, however, let's make something very clear - rape is a crime, and Texas will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas.'
He ended his comment to applause from those standing behind him.
The law, known as the 'Texas Heartbeat Act', bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is normally after six weeks and before many women even know they are pregnant.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott was asked about the new Texas abortion law at a bill signing for election security legislation on Tuesday
Its text makes no exceptions for rape or incest and allows Texans to report people, including Uber drivers, who help or take women to get abortions. The only exemption is if there is a danger to the woman's health.
Pro-life groups are blasting President Joe Biden and his Justice Department after it announced on Monday it would use a 1994 law to try and counter the Heartbeat Act, which would eliminate roughly 85 percent of abortions throughout the state.
'President Biden and his administration needs to quit trying to facilitate the killing of unborn babies. Instead, President Biden, AG Garland, and this administration should be doing everything they can to protect life and not destroy it,' National Right to Life's Director of Communications Laura Echevarria told DailyMail.com Tuesday.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said yesterday the DOJ would 'protect those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services' under a federal law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Garland said in a statement that federal prosecutors are still urgently exploring options to challenge the Texas law.
'The department will provide support from federal law enforcement when an abortion clinic or reproductive health center is under attack,' the attorney general pledged. 'We will not tolerate violence against those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services.'
President Joe Biden directed the Justice Department, led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, to try and find federal avenues to get around the Texas Heartbeat Act
Anti-abortion group Live Action President Lila Rose told Fox News, 'The Justice Department should be focused on protecting our basic rights, including our right to life, not on acting as the abortion industry’s personal attorneys before a relevant lawsuit is even in process.'
The federal law, commonly known as the FACE Act, prohibits physically obstructing or using the threat of force to intimidate or interfere with a person seeking reproductive health services.
The law also prohibits damaging property at abortion clinics and other reproductive health centers.
'The department will provide support from federal law enforcement when an abortion clinic or reproductive health center is under attack,' Garland said.
But another pro-life group, Human Coalition, brushed off the DOJ's attempt to skirt the Texas law in a statement to DailyMail.com.
'If violating the FACE Act is all the DOJ has come up with to block the Texas Heartbeat Act, that's good news! SB 8 is a peaceful and Constitutional law that uses civil lawsuits to protect innocent children from death by abortion,' Texas State Director Chelsey Youman said.
Youman
