RELEASE: Arizona Republican Leader Says Women Should “Put [Aspirin] Between Your Knees” to Prevent Pregnancy while Blasting Contraception

WASHINGTON — Last week, the Arizona Republican Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli went on an offensive rant chastising women as he denied the need to enshrine the right to contraceptives into state law. “Like I said, Bayer Company invented aspirin. Put it between your knees,” the GOP elected official said, suggesting that women wouldn’t need access to contraception if they kept a pill bottle between their legs to stop them from having sex. The comments came as state Republicans continue to stall legislation to protect access to contraception in Arizona.

This sexist tirade is just the latest in Republicans’ far-ranging attacks on women and their access to reproductive care across the country. From undermining access to contraceptives to attacking IVF services to banning abortion, reproductive freedom is the top target of MAGA extremism. MAGA Arizona Republicans have proven themselves too extreme and out of step with the people of Arizona to govern, and it is time for a change. If the Arizona Senate majority leader is saying this, that means that plenty of rank-and-file members will feel empowered to govern over women’s bodily autonomy in the state. Arizona is a top target for the DLCC in 2024, and we are going all in to break the GOP’s control of the state legislature and stop the extreme agenda of MAGA Republicans. 

ADLCC Co-Chair Sen. Priya Sundareshan issued the following statement: 

“A comment like this from the Arizona Senate majority leader is indicative of just how far extreme Republicans have taken us and how little the GOP values women in this state. There are consequences when our elected officials are this extreme. As long as Arizona Republicans are in power, our reproductive freedoms are deeply threatened. For the sake of our families’ futures, we must elect Democrats who will protect our most basic freedoms.”

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee National Press Secretary Sam Paisley issued the following statement:

“It’s disgusting that comments like ‘put it between your knees’ are being voiced by elected leaders in 2024. It’s even more upsetting that this comment is accompanied by Republican obstruction of legislation that would protect contraception access in Arizona. Misogyny is clearly alive and well at the highest levels of the Arizona Republican Party. 

“Sen. Borrelli’s words and actions aren’t happening in a void – he’s unfortunately emblematic of the extremism of Republicans across the country. State legislatures are the most important level of the ballot deciding reproductive freedom, and the DLCC is all hands on deck to root out MAGA extremism and elect Democrats who will defend reproductive rights – including in both chambers of the Arizona legislature. Arizona Republicans have been put on notice: they will answer for their extremism at the polls in November. ”

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.

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