Gov. Noem pushes back on narrative GOP is anti-woman, says telemedicine abortions show left is 'hypocritical'

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Supreme Court to hear Mississippi abortion case

Judicial Crisis Network president Carrie Severino and pro-life activist Alison Howard Centofante discussed the case and what it could mean for Roe v. Wade.

Gov. Kristi Noem railed against Democratic narratives on abortion, arguing on Monday that her party's position was consistent with being pro-woman.

"This is an issue that those who are pro-choice try to dehumanize – that they try to make an argument that we don't care about women, that we don't care about these babies," Noem said during an online press briefing with the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List. 

She added: "That's just a false narrative that we have to push aggressively back against."

Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota, speaks during the FAMiLY Leader summit in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, July 16, 2021. Former Vice President Mike Pence is headlining the evangelical group's 10th annual leadership summit.  (Rachel Mummey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Noem's comments come just days before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, which Noem hopes will serve as an avenue for overturning Roe v. Wade. 

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A mother of three, Noem argued that women didn't have to choose between career success and having children. She and more than 200 other women signed onto an amicus brief challenging Planned Parenthood v. Casey's contention that women had "reliance interests" in abortion as it helped them "participate equally in the economic and social life of the nation."

She also took aim at telemedicine or chemical abortions, a relatively new method that is expected to grow if the Supreme Court allows states to beef up restrictions on the procedure. 

A police officer maintains a watch during a demonstration by victims of gun violence in front of the Supreme Court as arguments begin in a major case on gun rights on Nov. 3, 2021, in Washington, D.C.   (Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)

"For years and years, we've heard liberals talk about this decision on abortion being between a woman and her doctor," she said Monday. "Now they're changing their complete argument to now this can be a decision between a woman and virtually any stranger over the phone – that she doesn't even have to prove it's a doctor … or an informed decision."

Noem added that these types of abortions were more "dangerous" for women and showed the left was "hypocritical" because it allows women to "make an impromptu" and "not well-informed" decision with strangers.

According to Kaiser Family Foundation, 17 states and the District of Columbia allow advanced practice clinicians, including nurses, to dispense medication abortions. Anti-abortion advocates have also raised concerns about sites like AidAccess, which provide abortion pills remotely.

Governor  of South Dakota Kristi Noem speaks to reporters at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip campground after riding in the Legends Ride for charity on Aug. 9, 2021, near Sturgis, South Dakota.  (Scott Olson/ Getty Images)

Chemical abortions, which Noem attempted to restrict with an executive order, have prompted intense debate as they can provide easier access but also sidestep usual medical exams. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to announce a decision on the issue later this month but previously overturned a Trump-era rule that required in-person dispensing of the pills. 

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Janet Woodcock, the acting FDA commissioner, argued in April that existing literature doesn't indicate serious complications arising without the in-person requirement. Meanwhile, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has praised the Biden administration's decision as a way to protect patients and medical professionals from contracting COVID-19 during in-person visits. 

The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) has said in-person visits are critical to detecting ectopic pregnancies, which can be life threatening; ensuring accurate estimations of gestational age; and for determining whether women need the medication Rhogam, which is used to prevent complications in future pregnancies. 

In this screenshot from the RNC’s livestream of the 2020 Republican National Convention, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds addresses the virtual convention on Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo Courtesy of the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images)

Advocates like Planned Parenthood have emphasized the importance of women's autonomy and ease of access to abortion, especially during the pandemic. 

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., derided Mississippi's law in September alongside an amicus brief from both chambers of Congress. "Mississippi’s draconian abortion ban – one in a heartbreaking and nationwide assault against women’s freedoms – is unconstitutional," Pelosi said. "As the brief makes clear, the constitutional right to an abortion has been resoundingly affirmed."

But Noem and Gov. Kim Reynolds, R-Iowa, maintained on Monday that current precedent on abortion is wrong. "With Dobbs, the Supreme Court can strike a blow for Democratic self-government, restore constitutional integrity, and right a historic wrong," said Reynolds during a recorded message for Monday's briefing.