How did Ron Wright die? GOP Congressman, 67, from Texas wanted women to be jailed for abortions
Ronald Jack Wright, a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 6th congressional district, has died at the age of 67, his office announced on Monday, February 8. Wright’s final vote in the House was against impeaching former President Donald Trump on a charge of inciting the January 6 riots at the US Capitol.
How did Ron Wright die?
A statement issued by his office said, "Congressman Ron Wright passed away peacefully at the age of 67 on February 7, 2021. His wife Susan was by his side and he is now in the presence of their Lord and Savior. For the previous two weeks, Ron and Susan had been admitted to Baylor Hospital in Dallas after contracting COVID-19."
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"Over the past few years, Congressman Wright had kept a rigorous work schedule on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and at home in Texas' Congressional District 6 while being treated for cancer," it added. He had undergone treatment for lung cancer after it was diagnosed in 2018.
“As friends, family, and many of his constituents will know, Ron maintained his quick wit and optimism until the very end,” the statement further said. “Despite years of painful, sometimes debilitating treatment for cancer, Ron never lacked the desire to get up and go to work, to motivate those around him, or to offer fatherly advice.”
As per reports, Wright had tested positive for Covid-19 on January 21. At the time, the congressman said in a statement, "I am experiencing minor symptoms, but overall, I feel okay and will continue working for the people of the 6th District from home this week."
CNBC reported that Wright is the first sitting member of Congress to die after contracting Covid. At least 71 representatives and senators have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far.
Wright’s views on Abortion
On January 29, Wright reintroduced the Teleabortion Prevention Act and Child Custody Protection Act in the 117th Congress. The Child Custody Protection Act, as per Wright's official website, would make it a federal offense to transport a minor across state lines in order to circumvent a state law requiring parental involvement in that minor’s abortion. Adults who knowingly transport a minor across state lines to bypass parental consent or notification laws would be subject to criminal and civil penalties, including fines, up to a year in prison, or both. The Teleabortion Prevention Act, his statement claims, "protects women’s health by making it a federal offense for healthcare providers to perform a chemical abortion without first physically examining the patient, being present during the chemical abortion, and scheduling a follow-up visit for the patient."
The Hyde Amendment, a 40-year-old ban on taxpayer-funded abortion, is under attack by House Democrats.
— Ron Wright (@RepRonWright) January 26, 2021
I joined 200 of my Republican colleagues to be a voice for the voiceless and fight to #SaveHyde.
Our hard-earned taxpayer dollars should NEVER be used to fund abortion! pic.twitter.com/XMHUPyN9c5
In May 2019, Wright expressed controversial views on the topic of abortion. He said that women who have an abortion should be punished. In a video released by abortion access advocacy group Reproaction on May 30, Wright responded to questions about whether or not women who induce their own abortions should be punished with jail. “Of course, because they just killed a baby,” he had said. When the interviewer asked if he was concerned that women could be sent to prison for having abortions, he said, “As far as I’m concerned, they committed murder.” In 2015, as a tax assessor-collector for Texas’ Tarrant County, he had reportedly encouraged county employees in a speech not to make donations to United Way, a fundraising nonprofit organization, for its supposed ties to Planned Parenthood. He had said then: "This is a stain on what is otherwise a very worthy organization. People with United Way remind me of the enormous good they do in the community. And they do. Supporters of Planned Parenthood will say it too does enormous good in the community as well. I will remind all of them that Hitler made the trains run on time… The good that’s being done doesn’t compensate for the evil that’s being done by Planned Parenthood."