Democratic rep says she’s tired of ‘sex-starved males’ talking about abortion rights

Anna Moneymaker

Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) said she’s tired of hearing “so many sex-starved males on this floor talk about a woman’s right to choose” while debating legislation that includes language related to Title X funding on the House floor on Wednesday.

The California Democrat’s remarks followed Rep. Ross Spano (R-Fla.) blasting the bill for allowing federal funding to be used for abortions.

{mosads}“For more than 40 years, this country operated under the policy that not one cent of taxpayer money can be used to fund abortion. We are a nation that deeply values religious liberty,” he said. 

“This rule further protects Americans’ tax dollars being forced to subsidize entities that kill unborn children. Accordingly, I’m fully supportive of Rep. Roby’s amendment that we will debate this afternoon to strike the language that would halt this important rule and the other amendments that will restore pro-life policies to this legislation. I encourage all of my colleagues to support these provisions.”

Torres shot back at the criticisms of the bill, saying: “Mr. Speaker, it is tiring to hear from so many sex-starved males on this floor talk about a woman’s right to choose.”

Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) questioned whether she would “like to change her last statement.”

Torres ultimately opted to change her remarks on the record after the GOP lawmaker’s request.   

“Mr. Speaker, if it pleases my colleagues on the other side, I will withdraw my statement about sex-starved males on the floor,” she responded.

“I will put it in different terms, it is tiring to be here on this floor or in committee as a woman to continue to be counseled about what types of affordable — whether it is family planning conversations that rightfully I deserve to have with my own doctor choosing when women want to have a family and to avoid pregnancy,” she said. “It is unfortunate that that is something that continues to be denied to American women day in and day out on this floor. And with that, I will reserve the balance of my time.”

Tags Norma Torres Rob Woodall Ross Spano

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