Sen. Mazie Hirono promotes a 'call to arms' against the pro-life movement
Sen. Mazie Hirono issued a "call to arms" on abortion Wednesday following the introduction of Sen. Lindsey Graham's 15-week abortion bill.
Hawaii Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono was criticized on Twitter for suggesting that it is time for a literal "call to arms" to fight against the pro-life movement.
On Wednesday, Hirono spoke on the Senate floor about Sen. Lindsey Graham’s, R-S.C., latest bill proposal to ban abortions after 15 weeks. The bill includes several exceptions, including for rape, incest and when a woman's life is in danger from a pregnancy. It also explicitly bans the prosecution of women seeking abortions. She, along with other Democratic senators, vehemently opposed the legislation for pushing an "extreme MAGA Republican" agenda.
"Talk about government overreach. When I hear my colleagues talking about how it should be states’ rights or government should not be telling us what to do, the word ‘hypocrites,’ it doesn’t even go far enough to call them out on what they’re doing. This is an outright attack on women in this country. That is how I see it," she said.
She concluded her speech by issuing a "call to arms" in response to pro-life legislation.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 4: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee business meeting to vote on Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Capitol Hill, April 4, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Hirono added, "That is how more and more women and those who support our right to make decisions about our own bodies, that is how we see it. And why? Because that’s what’s happening. Madam President, I yield the floor. But clearly, this is a — literally call to arms in our country. I yield the floor."
These comments faced intense backlash for pushing more inflammatory rhetoric as crisis pregnancy centers continue to face threats and attacks from abortion advocates.
Axiom Strategies Communications VP Matt Wolking tweeted, "After many crisis pregnancy centers have been firebombed by Democrats, crazy Mazie Hirono calls for more pro-abortion violence."
RealClear Investigations deputy editor Benjamin Weingarten wrote, "1) Does she mean ‘literally’ or *literally*? 2) Isn’t this incitement to violence on the Senate floor? 3) Doesn’t this follow literal attacks on pro-life centers and threats to the life and limb of Supreme Court justices who (rightly) see no right to abortion in the Constitution?"
"To be clear, Hirono won't be doing the fighting. She's going to leave that to the peasantry," RedState deputy managing editor Brandon Morse commented.
The Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center in Virginia was vandalized following Supreme Court overturning Roe. V. Wade. (Lynchburg Police Department )
"How many people are gonna listen to her and firebomb another small business that helps pregnant women?" X Strategies LLC senior digital strategist Greg Price asked.
"I’ve done and said so many stupid things in my life. Listening to @maziehirono try to form sentences makes me feel so much better about myself," talk show host Jesse Kelly tweeted.
Director and producer Robby Starbuck wrote, "So what exactly does crazy @maziehirono mean when she says this is ‘literally a call to arms in our country’ because it sure sounds like she’s calling for violence against pro-life citizens and politicians."
In an interview with Fox News Digital, First Liberty Institute lawyer Jeremy Dys criticized politicians like Hirono and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who attack pregnancy centers and appear to be "upset at their very existence."
"I think it’s all part of the same political intimidation," Dys commented.
He also noted that after Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey issued a consumer advisory warning on crisis pregnancy centers on July 6, a crisis pregnancy center within her state was attacked.
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"The President of the United States through his Attorney General and the director of the FBI have a responsibility under the Constitution to protect faith-based pro-life reproductive health facilities, and they are simply turning their backs to them," Dys said.
A pro-life pregnancy center in Minneapolis, Minnesota was vandalized, and the group Jane's Revenge has claimed responsibility for carrying out the act in an online post. (Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life)
He added, "You’re welcome to disagree with these pro-life reproductive health facilities, but state law and federal law protects their right to exist and to operate under the Constitution of the United States."
The pro-abortion advocacy group Jane’s Revenge has so far taken credit for at least 18 arson and vandalism attacks on pregnancy centers after the May 2 leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade. No arrests have been reported from the attacks, though the FBI has told Fox News Digital that it is continuing to investigate these actions as "potential acts of domestic violent extremism."
Fox News' Tyler Olsen contributed to this report.
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