Lawmaker who called miscarriages 'just some mess on a napkin' blames outrage on 'poorly chosen' words

Pennsylvania state Rep. Wendy Ullman, a Democrat, incited outrage this week after she referred to early pregnancy miscarriages — which are extremely traumatic experiences for expecting parents, especially mothers — as nothing more than "just some mess on a napkin."

Ullman made the remark on Tuesday during a state House Health Committee hearing. She was voicing opposition to legislation that would require medical facilities to cremate or bury fetal remains from miscarriages or abortions, regardless of gestational age, the Washington Times reported.

"[The bill] refers specifically to the product of conception after fertilization, which covers an awful lot of territory," she said. "I think we all understand the concept of the loss of a fetus, but we're also talking about a woman who comes into a facility and is having cramps and — not to be, not to be, concrete — an early miscarriage is just some mess on a napkin."

On Friday, Ullman blamed the outrage for her remarks on "poorly chosen" words.

"My words were poorly chosen, and I apologize. I remain steadfast that every single step of a medical process, including the handling of remains, should be decided by a patient and her doctor," Ullman wrote on Twitter.

The issue of fetal remains became a national issue earlier this year after more than 2,000 fetal remains were found on the property of an infamous Indiana abortion doctor.