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Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, who is running for governor, said during a television appearance Wednesday that more abortion access was a solution to combatting the nation’s crippling inflation rate, a remark that prompted widespread backlash from Republicans.
Abrams was asked on MSNBC’s Morning Joe:
While abortion is an issue, it nowhere reaches the level of interest of voters in terms of the cost of gas, food, bread, milk, things like that. What can a governor, what could you do as governor to alleviate the concerns of Georgia voters about those livability, daily, hourly issues they’re confronted with?
Abrams replied:
Let’s be clear. Having children is why you’re worried about your price for gas. It’s why you’re concerned about how much food costs. For women this is not a reductive issue. You can’t divorce being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy from the economic realities of having a child.
Abrams, who is facing Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in a contentious gubernatorial rematch, then provided a nonspecific list of follow-up answers to the current high cost of living, which nearly 70 percent of respondents in a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll said was an “extremely important” or “very important” consideration for how they would vote.
“A governor can address housing prices. A governor can address the cost of education. A governor can put money into the pockets of everyday hardworking Georgians instead of giving tax cuts to the wealthy. That’s what I talk about on the trail,” Abrams said before switching the conversation back to abortion.
Kemp, an outspokenly pro-life governor, signed into law Georgia’s six-week abortion ban in 2019, and the ban, which includes exceptions, took effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned this year.
The governor responded to Abrams’ comments with a list of inflation fixes, including continuing to suspend the state’s gas tax.
While my opponent wants abortion without limits to fix Joe Biden’s 40-year high inflation, my plan is:
✅ Suspend the gas tax
✅ Send another $1B back to taxpayers
✅ Pass a property tax rebate for homeowners
✅ Implement largest tax cut in state history https://t.co/mj4N3z8fA9
Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) October 19, 2022
Republican Herschel Walker, who is vying to unseat Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in a highly competitive Senate battle, raised the question to Warnock of whether he agrees with Abrams.
