Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush Duke It Out Over Women's Health Issues
Clinton wasted no time going after Bush for his recent slip on women's health.
— -- An off-hand remark Jeb Bush made Tuesday afternoon on the funding of women’s health issues has Hillary Clinton fuming. And her vocal response has prompted a public feud between the two well-known, presidential candidates.
“Just today we got another window into what Republican candidates really believe. Jeb Bush said he’s not sure we need half a billion dollars for women’s health issues,” Clinton said Tuesday night during an organizing event in Denver.
“Now, he’s got no problem giving billions of dollars away to super-wealthy and powerful corporations, but I guess women’s health just isn’t a priority for him.”
Clinton’s remark came just hours after Bush’s unscripted gaffe, where he said, “I'm not sure we need a half a billion dollars for women's health issues,” during a discussion on Planned Parenthood.
Bush, a former two-term Florida governor, later released a statement on his website admitting he “misspoke,” but Clinton’s campaign was quick to jump on the remark.
“.@Jeb Bush: You are absolutely, unequivocally wrong,” Clinton’s campaign tweeted.
Soon after, Bush’s campaign tweeted right back: “.@HillaryClinton what’s absolutely, unequivocally wrong is giving taxpayer $ to an org whose practices show no regard for lives of unborn.”
The comments come amid Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood in the wake of undercover videos of the organization, released by an anti-abortion group, showing the discussion of aborted fetal tissue.
Clinton recently called the videos themselves “disturbing,” but has been unwavering in her overall support of the organization. She released a video Monday blasting Republicans for trying to defund Planned Parenthood, calling their efforts a “full on assault on women’s health.”
The former secretary of state and New York senator reiterated that sentiment in Denver Tuesday night, with Bush at the center of her attack.
“This really isn’t complicated,” Clinton said. “When you attack Planned Parenthood, you attack women’s health. When you attack women’s health, you attack America’s health. The truth is, what Jeb said, the other Republican candidates believe, too, and that’s not the only example of them being out of touch and out of date.”
Bush's campaign has yet to respond to Clinton's remarks.
This is the second time in five days that Clinton has taken direct aim at what could be her future Republican presidential rival. Clinton went after Bush Friday during an event in his home state of Florida, mocking his campaign slogan a "Right to Rise."
Bush later took the stage at the same event but did not respond to Clinton.
ABC News' Candace Smith contributed to this report.