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Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Says Rape Victims 'Most Concerned' About Pregnancy in the 'Initial Months'

Walker made the statement as he explained his support for a state bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy without an exception for incest and rape.
Charles Krupa/ AP

Wisconsin Governor and potential Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker said on Wednesday he would support a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy without an exception for incest and rape, justifying his position by saying women are "most concerned" about abortion in the "initial months" after a sexual assault results in a pregnancy.

"I mean, I think for most people who are concerned about that, it's in the initial months where they're most concerned about it," Walker told reporters. "In this case, again, it's an unborn life, it's an unborn child, and that's why we feel strongly about it. I'm prepared to sign it either way that they send it to us."

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Walker made the statement while speaking before a hearing about Wisconsin's abortion bill, which is being debated in the state legislature but is not yet slated for a vote. Madison, Wisconsin TV station WKOW recorded Walker's comments.

Abortion rights advocates condemned Walker's position.

"Scott Walker seems to be making crass and insulting remarks on a daily basis about abortion," Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement. "It's impossible to understand why Scott Walker thinks that being pregnant as the result of rape or incest gets easier after a couple of months, but what's crystal clear is that he has no regard or respect for women's health."

Walker is exploring a 2016 run for president, but has not declared his candidacy. He was first elected governor or Wisconsin in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014.

Related: Wisconsin's Giving Florida a Run for Its Money When it Comes to Denying Climate Change