Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison claimed “women are dying because we are losing elections” in a speech Friday meant to increase voter participation.
The U.S. Representative, who also serves as Democratic National Committee vice chairman, made his remarks at a training session for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
“Women are dying because we are losing elections,” Ellison told the gathering. “We don’t have the right to lose a d**n election. We have to win. We have to win.”
He said the lives of women depend upon Democratic victories.
“Did you know that in Missouri and in Texas and maybe in other places, maternal mortality has risen?” he asked.
In December of last year, The Kansas City Star reported Missouri’s maternal death rate is among the highest in the nation. The U.S. rate is among the highest of the developed countries.
“The state’s high rates of smoking and obesity during pregnancy put women at higher risk for those complications,” The Star reported. “They also make them more likely to have diabetes or high blood pressure.”
The report placed the cause for the high mortality rate on medical issues. Presumably Ellison made his statement on his belief that more women would be covered for healthcare under Democratic policies.
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