Montana Republican Senator Steve Daines was criticized after he compared human pregnancy to protections for sea turtle and eagle eggs during a speech in which he attempted to justify not protecting women's reproductive rights.
Daines' remarks came as the nation continues to reel from the news that a leaked draft opinion indicated the Supreme Court's ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization will move to strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision that protects a person's right to choose reproductive healthcare without excessive government restriction.
Senate Democrats had attempted to codify Roe's protections into law by pushing for a vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act, but Republicans blocked the legislation. Daines issued his remarks during debate ahead of the vote.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Daines on Abortion: Why do we have laws in place to protect the eggs of a sea turtle or the eggs of eagles\u2026pic.twitter.com/yr0dM7aaAs— Acyn (@Acyn) 1652215748
Daines said:
"If you're to take and destroy the eggs of a sea turtle... the criminal penalties are severe: up to a $1,000 fine or a year in prison. Well, why?"
"Why do we have laws in place to protect the eggs of a sea turtle or the eggs of eagles? Because, when you destroy an egg, you’re killing a pre-born baby sea turtle, or a pre-born baby eagle!"
"Yet when it comes to a pre-born human baby, rather than a sea turtle, that baby will be stripped of all protections in all 50 states under the Democrats’ bill that we’re voting on tomorrow [Wednesday]."
"Is that the America the left wants?"
The eggs of many creatures are protected by law.
For example, human demand for turtle meat, eggs, skin and colorful shells have reduced their populations. This demand has contributed to the destruction of feeding and nesting habitats in addition to the pollution of the world's oceans.
It is estimated that poachers destroy about 90 percent of sea turtle nests to sell the eggs as part of the illegal wildlife trade, which is largely responsible for sea turtles' population decline.
The Endangered Species Act, first passed in 1973, provides a framework to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats both domestically and abroad. The legislation prohibits importing, exporting, taking, possessing, selling, and transporting endangered and threatened species from their natural habitats.
But it should go without saying that humans are not an endangered species–an estimated 385,000 babies are born around the world each day–and that women are autonomous beings, but this fact appeared lost on Daine, whose words sparked significant criticism.
Daines' remarks infuriated many who did not take kindly to women being compared to wild animals.
Of course they're baffled at the idea of treating women differently to animalshttps://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1524129432213987328\u00a0\u2026— Laura Shortridge-Scott \ud83d\udc99 (@Laura Shortridge-Scott \ud83d\udc99) 1652302766
\u201cWe should treat pregnant women like endangered animals.\u201d is certainly consistent with the GOP denial of women\u2019s autonomy.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1524129432213987328\u00a0\u2026— Joshua Stein, philosophy, ethics, politics (@Joshua Stein, philosophy, ethics, politics) 1652294508
This is such a gross way to use a corrupted portrayal of the Endangered Species Act to confuse and harm people. Preventing wildlife extinction & protecting human reproductive rights, health, and safety ARE NOT THE SAME THING! Shame on people who use these political tactics.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1524129432213987328\u00a0\u2026— Dr. Jonathan Kolby (@Dr. Jonathan Kolby) 1652288371
i\u2019m sorry when did i miss that humans are critically endangeredhttps://twitter.com/acyn/status/1524129432213987328\u00a0\u2026— gia (@gia) 1652288283
Montana is how far from the ocean? Tell me why an old white man with no background in science has a platform to talk about reproductive rights. Talk to us after you\u2019ve banned the use of lead bullets in the state if you\u2019re gonna bring up Eagle eggshttps://twitter.com/acyn/status/1524129432213987328\u00a0\u2026— Anna Le (@Anna Le) 1652285666
HUMANS DO NOT LAY EGGS.\n\nThank you for coming to my TED talkhttps://twitter.com/acyn/status/1524129432213987328\u00a0\u2026— Jenn Iversen (@Jenn Iversen) 1652288238
Trying to save the species of endangered animals is not germane to the conversation of bodily autonomy of human women - who are not wild animals nor endangered. A logical fallacy. A red herring. Carries zero weight in pro-choice discussions. We have rights. These men are pigs.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1524129432213987328\u00a0\u2026— Chris \ud83c\udf0a (@Chris \ud83c\udf0a) 1652284149
One fun thing about the men making laws about our bodies is they think we lay eggs on a beach and babies crawl out.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1524129432213987328\u00a0\u2026— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1652282091
Yeah. Let\u2019s r select human eggs. Let\u2019s bury a thousand human eggs on the beach and see what happens.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1524129432213987328\u00a0\u2026— Vinny Thomas (@Vinny Thomas) 1652281357
Senate Democrats’ attempt to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law failed in part because West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin joined Republicans in tanking the bill.
The vote was 51 to 49 and well short of the 60 votes necessary to overcome the filibuster per Senate rules.
President Joe Biden criticized Republicans after the vote, saying that they “have chosen to stand in the way of Americans’ rights to make the most personal decisions about their own bodies, families and lives.”
