Anti-abortion Republican Congressman Andy Harris questioned former Centers For Disease Control director Tom Frieden on Wednesday during a hearing, arguing that it would just be safer if people weren’t born.
During a hearing of House Appropriations Committee, Harris challenged data showing that shelter-in-place measures slowed the pandemic’s spread.
Harris suggested that not being born is the only way to stop anyone from getting hit with disease and that shutting down the country isn’t going to help.
“We’re safer if we’re not born,” Harris said. “We’re safer from death if we’re not born, right? The bottom line is there is some element of risk.”
He then challenged Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, with pro-choice rhetoric after she said customers may not feel safe returning to reopened businesses in his mostly rural district.
“That’s their choice, isn’t it?” the lawmaker said.
Wow.. Dr. Andy Harris (R-Md.) at this appropriations hearing right now.
"We're safer from death if we're not born.. The bottom line is that there's some element of risk."
— Sarah Ferris (@sarahnferris) May 6, 2020
