Republican Senator Bill Cassidy Explains To His Colleagues How Babies Are Made

A Republican senator gave his colleagues a lesson in the birds and the bees on Wednesday as he pressed them to keep maternity benefits in all health care plans.

Some GOP lawmakers have insisted that men shouldn’t have to foot the bill for such services since men don’t get pregnant. But Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who is a gastroenterologist, has a different take.

“Yes, you want cheaper plans, absolutely,” Cassidy said, per the Washington Post. “Unless you have a common risk pool, you end up with policies that don’t cover maternity. As best I can tell, women don’t get pregnant without sperm.”

The Hill reported that Cassidy also said:

“You know, I’m a doctor, and I know that might be med school. So, do you want a coverage that doesn’t include maternity that obviously would be principally appealing to young men, when it doesn’t include maternity?”

Cassidy, who said he was undecided on the Obamacare repeal currently before the Senate, drew praise for what some consider his moderate views on health care, including his vow to make sure any legislation passes the “Jimmy Kimmel test.” That refers to Kimmel’s viral plea for government-assured care for babies with preexisting conditions which the late night talk show host made after his newborn suffered a heart scare.

However, Cassidy has also come under fire for his far more conservative views on women’s health, including his votes to defund Planned Parenthood and his support for restrictions on abortion rights.

(h/t Raw Story)