Lisa Murkowski Says She Was Offended By JD Vances Childless Cat Lady Comment

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican from Alaska, joined the growing backlash to JD Vances comments calling people who dont or cant have kids childless cat ladies.

I said that it was offensive to me as a woman, Murkowski told CNNs Manu Raju on Wednesday. Women make their own determinations as to whether or not theyre going to have children or cats or dogs or how many kids theyre going to have.

Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, has come under fire for his many resurfaced comments disparaging people who dont or cant have children, calling them names more severe than childless cat lady a term many women have since proudly embraced.

When confronted with his earlier comments, Vance apologized to cats but avoided backtracking on his position on childless women.

What the country would hope for is a discussion on the issues and the policies, Murkowski said, according to Raju . We dont need to engage in name-calling, we dont need to create inflammatory statements.

In the past, Vance has suggested that people without children should pay higher taxes than people with children , though he will likely miss a Senate vote this week on a bill that would essentially do that. He has also proposed shrinking childless adults voting power , accusing them of having less of a stake in American democracy.

Murkowski and Maines Sen. Susan Collins are the only two Republican senators who support abortion rights . The Alaska lawmaker is also known for semi-regularly blasting her fellow Republicans who support extreme policies and uncritically support Donald Trump, whom she voted to convict for inciting the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.

Before Trump became the official Republican presidential nominee, Murkowski said she could not vote for him, instead urging the party to support former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. In March, the senator said she was considering leaving the Republican Party, calling herself independent-minded.

I just regret that our party is seemingly becoming a party of Donald Trump, she told CNN at the time . I am navigating my way through some very interesting political times. Lets just leave it at that.

Murkowski has not outright said whether she will get behind Trump now that he is the partys choice for president.