While the public’s attention is laser-focused on the upcoming March 3 U.S. Senate Republican primary in Alabama, Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) apparently wants people to start thinking about the general election, too.
While getting out of his SUV to walk into The Club in Birmingham on Wednesday morning, Jones was greeted by a tracker who is also a constituent. The exchange was caught on video.
As Jones began to walk towards the building, the tracker asked from a distance, “Do you think abortion should be banned after five months?”
Jones did not seem to hear the initial question, as he said back, “What stupid question do you have for me today?”
The tracker again, this time at a speaking distance, queried, “Do you think abortion should be banned after five months?”
Jones then began laughing, while parroting, “Should abortion be banned after–?”
“As I said, what a stupid question,” the senator continued.
“You’re voting on it next week,” the tracker advised, referring to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
“Yeah, and I’ll vote on it next week, just like I did the last time,” Jones responded, before walking out of view.
Watch:
? NEW VIDEO ?
Constituent: “Do you think abortion should be banned after 5 months?”
Doug Jones: “What a stupid question.”
Constituent: “You’re voting on it next week.”#ALsen #ALpolitics pic.twitter.com/oZd5NrFHy3
— Nathan Brand (@NathanBrandWA) February 19, 2020
Jones has been a staunch pro-abortion advocate while in the U.S. Senate, previously voting against the pain-capable abortion ban. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to be considered next week would prohibit abortion after 20 weeks’ gestation based on scientific research suggesting that fetuses are capable of feeling pain by that point in pregnancy, per National Review. A report released recently suggested that fetal pain is in fact possible even earlier in pregnancy than 20 weeks.
Alabama’s junior U.S. senator also previously voted against banning using federal funds for abortions.
Jones has been endorsed in his 2020 reelection bid by State. Rep. John Rogers (D-AL) of “kill ’em now or kill ’em later” infamy. Rogers has asserted that Jones privately called him to say those remarks were “right.” Jones, confronted by a tracker last year, refused to comment on that allegation.
RELATED: Video: Doug Jones’ pro-choice beliefs compared with Dem. Rep. Rogers’ viral abortion comments
Last year, Jones criticized Republican lawmakers in Alabama for pushing the nation’s strictest abortion ban. He called their pro-life views “callous” and “extreme.”
While Alabamians in the 2018 general election voted overwhelmingly to declare the official policy of the state as being pro-life, Jones has stressed in public comments that representing the majority of his constituents is not “the be all to end all.” He recently doubled down on this admission when defending his two votes to remove President Donald Trump from office.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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