Psaki rips Texas governor's abortion ban defense, says no one has ever 'been ...

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki mocked Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday over his defense of his state's restrictive new abortion law and said now it's 'even more imperative' to protect women's rights across the country. 

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,' 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.' 

Psaki was asked about Abbott's comments at Wednesday's White House briefing.

'If Governor Abbott has a means of eliminating all rapists or all rape from the United States, then there would be bipartisan support for that,' Psaki said dryly.

'But given there has never in history of the country, in the world, been any leader who's ever been able to eliminate rape, eliminate rapists from our streets, it's even more imperative, it's one of the many reasons I should say, not the only reason, why women in Texas have access to health care.'

She added that the White House's objective in helping expand abortion access and finding ways around the Texas law has not changed.

Asked what she would say to women who are currently in need of an abortion in Texas - who have a finite amount of time to take action - Psaki said she would tell them the law is a 'violation of your rights.'

'And we are going to do everything we can to provide assistance as quickly as we can,' she said without elaborating on whether the White House had an immediate plan for those women.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also slammed the Texas governor  over the state's strict new abortion law, but drew mockery of her own for using the phrase 'menstruating persons.'

The progressive New York Democrat spoke out in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, slamming Abbott as ignorant of reproductive science but appearing to trip over her own phrasing.

'I don't know if he is familiar with a menstruating person's body. In fact, I do know that he's not familiar with a woman -- with a female or menstruating person's body,' said Ocasio-Cortez.

The term 'menstruating person' is intended to be inclusive of transgender and non-binary people who still have periods. 

But critics - including Harry Potter author JK Rowling - say using the phrase it erases the experience of women. 

Abbott, who has been married to his wife Cecilia for 40 years and has an adopted daughter, signed the new law which exposes abortion providers to financial penalties if they perform abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy.

Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that the six week timeline would only give most women two weeks after their first missed period to confirm the pregnancy and seek an abortion.

'I'm sorry we have to break down Biology 101 on national television, but in case no one has informed him before in our life -- in his life, six weeks pregnant means two weeks late for your period,' the

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