Bob Marshall: 'I Regret Any Misimpression My Poorly Chosen Words May Have Created' About Abortion And Disabled Children

Virginia state Delegate Bob Marshall (R) released a statement today, expressing regret for any "misimpression" that he may have caused during a press conference about defunding Planned Parenthood, when he declared that an increased number of disabled children is a "vengeance" from nature for prior abortions by their mothers.

"A story by Capital News Service regarding my remarks at a recent press conference opposing taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood conveyed the impression that I believe disabled children are a punishment for prior abortions. No one who knows me or my record would imagine that I believe or intended to communicate such an offensive notion," Marshall said in the statement. "I have devoted a generation of work to defending disabled and unwanted children, and have always maintained that they are special blessings to their parents. Nevertheless, I regret any misimpression my poorly chosen words may have created as to my deep commitment to fighting for these vulnerable children and their families."

Speaking a press conference on Thursday, to call for defunding Planned Parenthood, Marshall said: "The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children."

In a subsequent interview with TPM, Marshall did not back away from his words and cited articles in medical journals, which he claimed showed an increased rate of cerebral palsy, low birth weights and premature births among women who have had prior induced abortions.

"This is nature. It's the same thing if you're talking about getting drunk. If God made nature, and made alcohol with certain characteristics, He's not to blame for me getting drunk and getting in a car and killing someone," said Marshall, also adding: "This is the order of nature. You do these things, you pay consequences. That's not controversial."

"I never said every low birth weight problem stems from induced abortion," Marshall also said. "What it has done is increased the low birth weight, pre-term births. Because the normal numbers occur, because we're human. Now, with induced abortions, it has increased that number."