Samantha Bee, newly minted late-night host and "Daily Show" alum, blasted a co-author of the Texas anti-abortion bill due to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday.
A segment on the current state of abortion legislation in Texas aired on her new show, "Full Frontal," Monday night. Bee talked with state Rep. Dan Flynn (R), who asserted the bill he co-wrote, HB 2, was not a means to limit abortion, but rather, a measure to provide "safe health care for women."
The bill has forced the closure of all but 19 clinics in the state due to financially prohibitive upgrades that can cost millions and a law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. Ten or fewer would remain open if the law is upheld, and the average Texan is now more than 100 miles from the nearest clinic.
"How does removing access to health care increase health care?" Bee asked. "You don't seem to know anything specifically about abortion, really at all. And yet you did all this with building regulations."
The fight over HB 2 has been dubbed one of the most important abortion cases since Roe v. Wade. The recent death of Justice Antonin Scalia could force a deadlock that would leave the legislation in place, providing a big win to anti-abortion advocates in Texas.
The clip ends with a back-and-forth "I think you're wrong" bit that would be funny if the stakes weren't so high and an elected official didn't respond like this:
"I think you're wrong," Flynn said.
"I speak with the authority of one who has a uterus, and I guess that's why I think that you're the wrongiest wrong-headedest wrong person," Bee said.
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"Well, I can tell you some things about a man that you wouldn't understand," Flynn responded. "I need to do a better job of educating you."
Okay then. Take a look at the clip above.