Lawmaker With COVID: My Health Choices Are Up To Me. Critics: That's What Women Assert.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) tweeted that his course of treatment battling COVID-19 is up to him and his doctor — not “government bureaucrats.”
Funny, critics pointed out, that’s exactly what women want when it comes to reproductive health.
Gohmert, who is opposed to abortion rights and believes women should carry unwanted pregnancies to term, has been slammed on Twitter for defending his own health care choices since he tested positive Wednesday for COVID-19. His anti-abortion beliefs are on the extreme end of the spectrum. He once told a woman she should have carried her brain-dead fetus to term “just in case.”
Gohmert has decided to take hydroxychloroquine — the anti-malarial drug often touted by President Donald Trump. Studies have found that the drug has proven to be ineffective against the novel coronavirus. In some patients, it can trigger fatal heart arrhythmia.
Gohmert’s “pro-life” stance may also be undermined by the fact that he’s long refused to wear a mask to stem the spread of COVID-19 and protect lives. He insisted last month that he didn’t need a mask because he didn’t have the virus. Gohmert discovered he was COVID-19 positive when he was tested before a planned trip with Trump.
Bizarrely, he speculated that he may have contracted the virus because he has recently used a mask.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) wished Gohmert well in a tweet Saturday, then added sarcastically: “And thank you for standing with millions of women who don’t want you coming between them and decisions they make with their doctor.”
Wishing you well, Louie! And thank you for standing with millions of women who don’t want you coming between them and decisions they make with their doctor. How about this: you stay out of their doctor’s office and we stay out of yours. https://t.co/WiX89l8NXa
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) August 1, 2020
That was a flood of similar responses:
Ahhhh but never ok when a woman and her doctor decides best course of action....without government intrusion 🤷🏽♀️ https://t.co/vf839DhNC5
— Rep. Ina Minjarez (@vote4ina) August 1, 2020
Bookmarking this for the next time you want to tell a woman how to manage her reproductive care:
“It is what was decided as the best course of action between my doctor and me--not by government bureaucrats.”— Wear A Mask. It’s not that hard. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@KeepingSunny) July 31, 2020
Wow welcome to NARAL Louie
— Erin too ambitious Ryan (@morninggloria) August 1, 2020
I came here to say that, as a woman, I absolutely understand that medical decisions made between him and his doctor are none of my business. He should try the same.
— Ambitious Bitches Get Shit Done (@StarinaJohnson) August 1, 2020
Louie Gohmert just came out as Pro-Choice! Yes indeed no government bureaucrat should have any say inside a doctor's office; and that also applies to all women!
— Robert C. Evans (@evansrc717) August 1, 2020
Ah, so he does believe in healthcare being decided between someone and their doctor and not by government bureaucrats after all. Fascinating. https://t.co/nqImAmtkTR
— Renee Bracey Sherman (@RBraceySherman) August 1, 2020
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.