“Just because you’re given a difficult diagnosis doesn’t mean that abortion is the only answer,” Cooper said.
Texas has some of the strictest abortion restrictions in the nation. Cooper, who works as a public policy analyst for Texas Alliance for Life, said she doesn’t want to see any expansion of the very narrow exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban.
“We don’t want our laws weakened to allow those children to be aborted,” Cooper said. “They deserve to be protected by law, and those mothers deserve to be supported.”
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who represents Texas, was slated to be the featured speaker with top billing at the rally, but couldn’t make it in person as the Senate has been working through the weekend to vote on President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks. Cornyn sent an audio message that organizers played at the rally. In it, he praised the abortion laws that are on the books in Texas.
“I can say without a doubt that Texas is the most pro-life state in the entire nation,” Cornyn said. “We have set an undeniable example of how to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”
In the early days of the 89th legislative session, there’s been a push among top Republican leaders to clarify when Texas doctors can perform abortions.