On Sunday, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio spoke with Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Tapper brought up the outrageous story of Kate Cox, a Texas woman who is being forced (so far) to go through with a nonviable pregnancy that risks both her life and her future fertility. Vance claimed he didn’t “know the details of that story,” then attempted to word-salad his way out of things, saying, “We have to provide exceptions for the life of the mother, for rape and so forth.”
Tapper asked whether Vance’s brand-new plan for the Republican Party includes the right to birth control; after all, it is a tried-and-true way for people to make sure they don’t get pregnant in the first place. That led to this exchange:
Vance: Look, obviously, people need to be able to make those decisions. I don't think I know any Republican—at least not a Republican with a brain—that's trying to take those rights away from people. But I think it goes deeper than that.
Tapper: I mean, I could provide a list for you if you want.
Vance: Well, okay, not anybody I talk to, Jake. But, look, I think the more important question is—I talk to a lot of people, a lot of young families who want to have babies. They can't afford mortgages; they're terrified about health care expenses. We've got to answer those questions for people. We've got to have a role to play because, look, we have a real problem in this country.