Former Vice President Joe Biden's change of heart on the Hyde Amendment was unfortunate not on its face, but because it was likely politically motivated to appeal to pro-choice leftists in order to get the Democratic presidential primary nomination, according to Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif.
"Joe Biden is simply trying to make a political decision here, and failing still to recognize that this is a personal decision," Rep. Porter told HBO's "Real Time" of abortion, which the 1976 Hyde Amendment said federal funds cannot be used to pay for abortions.
Biden, who is leading Democratic primary candidates in the polls, once supported the Hyde Amendment but has recently backed off supporting it.
"Women cannot have social and economic equality without the right to control their bodies, without bodily autonomy," Rep. Porter told host Bill Maher.
"Look I was a professor, better late than never for the student who gets it on the last day of class, but literally if this is for him a reckoning that's coming out of political motivation, rather than out of understanding what it means to be, oh I don't know, half of the world's population, then that's a real problem."
Porte became a leftist Internet sensation after embarrassing HUD Secretary Ben Carson in a House hearing, when he confused "REOs – Real Estate Owned" with "Oreos," the cookie.
Porter and Maher made light of abortion – "Funny subject, abortion," Maher said – in the "Real Time" appearance, with Porter telling Maher's audience because the host was not aborted: "We're all here with the consequences of that choice."
The crowd laughed, prompting Maher to joke: "First of all, f– you, you can go watch another show, we got a lot on the line here if I'm not doing it for you."
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