Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore
Apparently, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are too chickenshit to talk about the Texas Supreme Court's latest abortion ruling.
In the case of U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, scared enough to shut their pie holes — for once.
Both of Texas' senators repeatedly dodged questions from NBC News about Kate Cox, the woman who made international headlines after the state's Supreme Court blocked her from obtaining an abortion. Cox sought to legally end her pregnancy after leaning her child had a fatal abnormality and that giving birth would risk her future fertility.
Even though both Cruz and Cornyn have loudly trumped their opposition to abortion in the past, neither was able to summon up the guts this week to publicly discuss the ruling from their home state's highest court, according to the news organization.
“I’m not a state official, so I’m not going to comment on what state officials are doing. I’m happy to comment on anything that I’m responsible for,” Cornyn replied when an NBC News reporter asked whether Texas' abortion ban risks women's health.
The senator, who once sat on the Texas Supreme Court, reportedly use a similar evasion "five separate times" when asked if he backed the decision, according to NBC News.
Meanwhile, Cruz refused to answer after being pressed three times. In each case, he referred reporters to his press office. And — surprise, surprise — Cruz's press office also was unresponsive to their inquiries, according to NBC News.
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision last year to undo nearly 50 years of legal precedent by overturning Roe v. Wade has enabled some two dozen GOP-controlled states, including Texas, to ban the medical procedure or severely curtail access.
The ensuing voter backlash helped ensure high-profile Democratic victories in Virginia and Kentucky last month, and experts also credit anger over the abortion bans with sandbagging Republican candidates during the 2022 midterms.
While Cornyn isn't up for reelection until 2026, several Democrats have lined up to take on Cruz in 2024. The proximity of the Texas Supreme Court's ruling to that contest wasn't lost on the two most prominent of those potential challengers.
"[Cruz] doesn't have the fortitude to defend his extremist anti-abortion stance," tweeted State Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio. "Ask me and I'll tell you where I stand — I support a woman's right to an abortion, period. Republicans like Ted Cruz have no business in a woman's healthcare decisions."
In an emailed statement, North Texas U.S. Rep. Colin Allred accused Cruz of refusing to take accountability for his years of effort to ban abortion access.
“Texas women can’t afford six more years of Ted Cruz," Allred said. "In 2024, we will hold him accountable for his dangerous extremism and ensure women can get the reproductive care they need here at home, without fear of criminalization."
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