Texas GOP Lawmaker Tries To Bolster Fetal Pain Argument By Asserting that (Male) Fetuses Masturbate

The Atlantic: The Point Michael Burgess Was Trying to Make About Fetal Masturbation, by David A. Graham:

The Texas lawmaker's comments are really just another way to talk about the doggedly debated topic of whether fetuses feel pain.

Another week, another awkward remark about pregnancy from a Republican lawmaker.

Last week, it was Rep. Trent Franks' comments about the frequency of pregnancy from rape, the validity and meaning of which have been subject to a tediously hair-spliting debate. This week, it's Rep. Michael Burgess, a Texan, with this:

Watch a sonogram of a 15-week baby, and they have movements that are purposeful. They stroke their face. If they're a male baby, they may have their hand between their legs. If they feel pleasure, why is it so hard to believe that they could feel pain? . . .