In recent debate within the Wisconsin state legislature over potentially imposing a 14-week abortion ban, meaning a sweeping limit on accessing the procedure that would kick in around that stage of pregnancy, state Rep. Joel Kitchens (R) compared pregnant individuals to “animals.” He tried to use his time in veterinary medicine to claim some kind of authoritative perspective.
Footage of his remarks was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Heartland Signal, a newsroom associated with the Chicago-area talk radio station WCPT. “The question is whether abortion is health care,” Kitchens told colleagues. “And if you believe that a fetus is a human life, then abortion is not health care. In my veterinary career, I did thousands of ultrasounds on animals, determining pregnancy and that kind of thing, so I think I know mammalian fetal development better than probably anyone here. In my mind, there’s absolutely no question that’s a life.”
There obviously are many medical differences between human beings and any of the animals who could have come into Kitchens’ veterinary practice.
Wisconsin currently has a Democratic governor who can veto particularly galling initiatives from Republicans in the legislative branch, but as in other locales with a partisan split between the legislature and governor’s post, there’s the looming possibility of sufficient majorities overruling a veto. Accordingly, Kentucky currently has strict limits on abortion without even exceptions for rape or incest despite the recent win by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear when seeking another term last year. Republicans currently lead both chambers of the Wisconsin state legislature.
This year’s general elections are shaping up to effectively constitute another referendum on competing visions for abortion and health care access more generally. Donald Trump, who remains on track to secure Republicans’ presidential nomination this year no matter his four criminal cases, has expressed pride in the decision by a U.S. Supreme Court majority including three of his own picks to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating national protections for abortion.
Debating a 14-week abortion ban, Wisconsin State Rep. Joel Kitchens (R) says abortion isn’t health care and claims he’s an expert because he was a veterinarian:
“I did thousands of ultrasounds on animals … I think I know mammalian fetal development better than anyone here.” pic.twitter.com/6Yv6ceG6vm
— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) January 25, 2024
