WATCH: Republican congressman grills president of Southern Poverty Law Center over claim pro-lifers are racist 

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, challenged the claim that pro-life Americans are racist during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, questioning the head of an organization that places pro-life organizations on its “Hate Map.”

“I don’t think that pro-lifers are white-supremacists, do you?” Gill asked Southern Poverty Law Center President Bryan Fair, citing the SPLC’s claim that “restricting and banning abortion is a tool the far-right uses to maintain white supremacy.”

About 40% of abortions in the U.S. kill black babies, Gill said, despite African Americans only making up 13% of the population. 

“Does that sound like something a white supremacist would oppose?” he asked.

Fair, who was there to defend his organization against accusations it funded the same kinds of far-right activity it claims to oppose, repeatedly spoke about “reproductive liberty” but did not address Gill’s questions regarding racism and white supremacy.

“Calling someone a white supremacist is a pretty serious charge, isn’t it?” Gill asked rhetorically. “I would think you’d be able to defend that if your organization says that. You clearly seem unable to.”

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