Self-described 'proud abortion provider' claims that 'abortion is a blessing, abortion is an act of love, abortion is freedom'

One of the witnesses at a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on Thursday called abortion "a blessing," "an act of love," and "freedom."

During her introductory remarks, Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi announced that she utilizes she/her pronouns, noted that she is a board-certified ob-gyn, and said that she is "a proud abortion provider."

A Texas law that went into effect in September prohibits conducting abortions once a fetal heartbeat has been detected, except in the case of medical emergencies. The law allows people to lodge a civil action against violators, and stipulates that if a claimant prevails, the court should award statutory damages of at least $10,000 per violation.

Moayedi spoke about the law during her remarks:

The impact of this law is devastating, it is terrifying, not only for people with undesired pregnancies seeking abortion care, but for anyone with a highly desired pregnancy who has pregnancy complications. The consequences are far reaching. Health care providers are confused. My colleagues are asking if they're still allowed to treat an ectopic pregnancy or a miscarriage. They're worried they will have to delay life saving care for people who are very sick. They're worried about all of the possible chronic conditions that can worsen in pregnancy, but not worsen enough to warrant an exception under this law.

SB 8 has not only caused a near total abortion ban in Texas, it has made it extremely dangerous to be pregnant in Texas where our maternal morbidity and mortality rate is already unconscionably high, especially for black women and pregnant people of color. Texas deserves better.

I know firsthand that abortion saves lives. For the thousands of people I've cared for, abortion is a blessing, abortion is an act of love, abortion is freedom.

Many people on Twitter pushed back against Moayedi's remarks.

"I doubt the baby feels blessed," one person tweeted.

"'Abortion saves lives.' No, 2-1 = 1," another tweet noted.

"Nonsense! Calling evil good, and calling saving life bad," another tweet stated.

"This is what the Devil does. He claims his evil is love, claims he is God (and you can be too). Satan is the Great Deceiver," conservative commentator Liz Wheeler tweeted.

"It's interesting. Throughout my life I've never been huge on either side of the issue. But the last few yrs, I've drifted more to pro life because the other side has gone too far in their embrace of abortion. They are celebrating it. Disturbing," another individual remarked.

During the same hearing on Thursday, Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts claimed that abortion prohibitions are grounded in white supremacy and patriarchy.

"Like the roots of the anti-abortion movement, these bans are rooted in patriarchy and white supremacy," Pressley said.

Senior writer at RealClearInvestigations Mark Hemingway tweeted: "In actual fact, abortion has its roots in the progressive eugenics movement of the early 20th century -- and *that* was all about white supremacy."