Texas Republican says coronavirus is saving more lives than it's killing because it shut down abortion clinics

On Tuesday, Kathaleen Wall, a member of the Texas State Republican Executive Committee and a candidate for Texas' 22nd Congressional District, suggested that coronavirus will save more people than it kills this week — because abortion clinics in the state of Texas have been closed.

The order from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has suspended all abortions in the state except in cases of life-threatening pregnancy complications. Texas is one of multiple Republican-led states to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to order a halt to abortions, under the guise of freeing up medical resources.

The 22nd Congressional District, in the southern suburbs of Houston, is being vacated by retiring GOP Rep. Pete Olson, who only narrowly won re-election in 2018 after a tough race. The district is one of many in Texas that has trended left as the suburbs have grown and diversified, and college-educated voters have turned away from the Republican Party. The Democratic candidate from 2018, former diplomat Sri Kulkarni, is running again.