A US Senate hearing on abortion pill safety turned tense when Republican Senator Josh Hawley repeatedly asked Indian-origin doctor Nisha Verma whether men can become pregnant. The meeting was organised by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. It was supposed to review how safe abortion medicines are, especially mifepristone, and whether current rules are strong enough to stop misuse or forced abortions. However, the discussion shifted when lawmakers began arguing over basic biological facts.
During the exchange, Hawley directly asked, “Can men get pregnant?” Dr Verma replied, “I’m not really sure what the goal of the question is.” Hawley then repeated, “The goal is just to establish a biological reality…Can men get pregnant?”
Sen. Hawley: “Can men get pregnant?”
Dr. Nisha Verma: “I’m not really sure what the goal of the question is.”
Sen. Hawley: “The goal is just to establish a biological reality…Can men get pregnant?”
— America (@america) January 14, 2026
Who Is Dr Nisha Verma?
Dr Nisha Verma is an Indian-origin obstetrician-gynecologist who works in Georgia and Massachusetts, where she provides reproductive healthcare. She was invited to testify before the Senate by Democratic lawmakers. After this hearing, she gained national attention because of her exchange with Senator Hawley over pregnancy and biology.
Why Was Dr Nisha Verma Asked This Question?
The hearing was looking into whether abortion pills could be misused, including cases where men might get hold of them and pressure women into ending pregnancies.
Senator Ashley Moody brought up this concern and asked Dr Verma about it. Instead of giving a direct answer about whether men can get pregnant, Verma spoke about caring for patients with different identities and promoting inclusive medical treatment.
That led Senator Hawley to step in and demand a clear scientific answer. Verma again said, “I’m not really sure what the goal of the question is.”
Hawley responded, “The goal is just to establish a biological reality. You said just a moment ago that science and evidence should control, not politics… Can men get pregnant?”
He pushed further by saying, “So can men get pregnant? And you’re a doctor of science. Evidence should guide medicine.”
Verma explained why she hesitated by saying, “I hesitated there because I wasn’t sure where the conversation was going or what the goal was… I take care of people with many identities.”
She later described the line of questioning as “polarizing” and said such yes-or-no questions are often used to push political arguments.
What Did Senator Hawley Say Next?
Hawley rejected her explanation and kept demanding a direct reply. He said, “Let me just remind you that you testified a moment ago that science and evidence should control, not politics. So can men get pregnant?”
When Verma again avoided giving a clear answer, Hawley made his position clear by saying,
“It is not polarizing to say that women are a biological reality and should be treated and protected as such; that is not polarizing. That is truth… For the record, it is women who get pregnant, not men.”
The hearing segment ended without Dr Verma giving a yes-or-no response to Hawley’s question.
