Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blamed Twitter’s character limitations — and the reading skills of her critics — after getting called out for spreading misinformation about the newly signed abortion ban in Alabama.
The New York Democrat used the social media platform to criticize the law, which was signed by the governor on Wednesday and outlaws nearly all abortions in the state. The same law also makes performing an abortion a felony, punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison unless the mother’s health is at risk, with no exceptions for women impregnated by rape or incest.
“Alabama lawmakers are making all abortions a felony punishable w jail time, including women victimized by rape+incest,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a tweet.
“Of course, no added punishments for rapists. It’s going to [Governor Kay Ivey’s] desk. She will decide the future of women’s rights in Alabama.”
The tweet was immediately called out by conservative commentators, who pointed out that the law specifically targets the abortion providers and is designed to not punish women.
10 Democrat-held House seats Republicans could flip to save their majority
Trump’s new high-tech government hub holds some bizarre surprises: ‘Enjoy finding them’
National Guard deployment tallies up $49 million in food costs alone
Man Who Took Explosives to Mass for SCOTUS Justices Gets Mindboggling Sentence Thanks to Obama Judge
Loyal dog fetches police to help owner who fell at Kansas home
Sotomayor denies mom’s bid to get son into elite NYC school amid racial discrimination fight
Ranchers are furious about diesel prices and beef imports. Could it cost Republicans a Senate seat in Kansas?
Biden DOJ Senior Prosecutor Hit with Criminal Referral Amid ‘Troubling if True’ Allegations
Christa Pike was set to be the first woman to be executed in Tennessee in 200 years before botched attempts: What to know
Former Arizona fraternity leader sentenced to jail time after pledge dies in off-campus hazing
FAA breaks controller hiring record after chief warned system was ‘chronically understaffed’
Biden-era federal prosecutor hit with criminal investigation referral over alleged false statements to FBI
States leading nation on the biggest education battles gripping classrooms revealed in first-ever report
Bipartisan data center bill fractures Democrats ahead of midterm elections
1 missing, 4 rushed to hospital after helicopter crashes off Southern California island
“This is a lie,” tweeted the Daily Wire’s Michel Knowles, citing a portion of the law that specifically addresses the issue.
“Section 5. No woman upon whom an abortion is performed or attempted to be performed shall be criminally or civilly liable. Furthermore, no physician confirming the serious health risk to the child’s mother shall be criminally or civilly liable for those actions,” read the bill’s text.
“Everything about this tweet by @AOC is false,” wrote Caleb Hull. “Women who receive abortions in Alabama do NOT face jail time under the new Heartbeat bill. It is doctors who face prison if they illegally perform abortions and are convicted of a felony, not the pregnant women.”
Ocasio-Cortez didn’t admit her error and instead went on to blame the social media platform for having limited space.
“It’s a felony punishable by jail, [including] cases of women pregnant by rape or incest. Twitter is 280 [characters] – read the context clues in grammar of the tweet,” she tweeted.
“But good to know you’re here to promote criminalizing medical providers aiding victims of rape and incest! good job.”
10 Democrat-held House seats Republicans could flip to save their majority
Trump’s new high-tech government hub holds some bizarre surprises: ‘Enjoy finding them’
National Guard deployment tallies up $49 million in food costs alone
Man Who Took Explosives to Mass for SCOTUS Justices Gets Mindboggling Sentence Thanks to Obama Judge
Loyal dog fetches police to help owner who fell at Kansas home
Sotomayor denies mom’s bid to get son into elite NYC school amid racial discrimination fight
Ranchers are furious about diesel prices and beef imports. Could it cost Republicans a Senate seat in Kansas?
Biden DOJ Senior Prosecutor Hit with Criminal Referral Amid ‘Troubling if True’ Allegations
Christa Pike was set to be the first woman to be executed in Tennessee in 200 years before botched attempts: What to know
Former Arizona fraternity leader sentenced to jail time after pledge dies in off-campus hazing
FAA breaks controller hiring record after chief warned system was ‘chronically understaffed’
Biden-era federal prosecutor hit with criminal investigation referral over alleged false statements to FBI
States leading nation on the biggest education battles gripping classrooms revealed in first-ever report
Bipartisan data center bill fractures Democrats ahead of midterm elections
1 missing, 4 rushed to hospital after helicopter crashes off Southern California island
The Alabama abortion ban ignited a debate across the country, with critics arguing that it’s going too far while more conservative people say the law rightfully targets abortion providers.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) vowed to sue the law was first approved in the state Senate on Tuesday and reiterated the plan to sue on Wednesday.
A similar pro-life law has been enacted in Georgia, with Gov. Brian Kemp signing the “heartbeat” bill into law that prohibits abortions in the state after a heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The law allows exceptions in the case of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother is in danger.
Story cited here.
