If Trumpism has been good for one thing, it’s that it has allowed Republicans the comfort level to show the nation exactly how they feel about their legislative victories restricting women’s reproductive rights in Alabama, Missouri and future battleground states.
It’s a game to them—a game they believe they’re winning.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed into law the fetal heartbeat bill making it illegal to receive an abortion once a heartbeat is detected in the womb, which can happen as early as six weeks into pregnancy. The six-week mark is usually around a woman’s first missed period; the laughably small window of time to decide whether or not to terminate a pregnancy renders abortion effectively illegal for Georgia women.
Kemp’s signature was met with fervent applause from Republicans, most of whom were male. While protests and chants broke out outside of the legislature, State Senator Bruce Thompson and State Representative Ed Setzler were seen sharing a fist bump, like two teammates who just helped break up a play on third down, according to Yahoo.
To be clear, Setzler and Thompson just threw their support behind HB 481, a bill that lacks plans to provide government assistance for mothers forced into birthing children. While Georgia’s law expands its definition of personhood to include unborn children (who are considered dependent minors for tax purposes, no less), Setzler and Thompson took their time to celebrate the successful passage of a bill meant to force survivors of rape to bear children born of their attack, whether they like it or not.
With Republicans nationwide throwing their weight behind myriad assaults on basic human rights, it seems the GOP has committed itself to saying the quiet part as loudly as they can.