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'Unforgivable': Rep. Doug Collins slammed for tweet about Ruth Bader Ginsburg's abortion stance after her death

WASHINGTON — As condolences for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's family and fond memories of her life poured in from Democrats and Republicans alike, GOP Rep. Doug Collins' voice was missing from those honoring her.

Instead, Collins received backlash for his tweet Friday night focusing on Ginsburg's position on abortion rights.

"RIP to the more than 30 million innocent babies that have been murdered during the decades that Ruth Bader Ginsburg defended pro-abortion laws," Collins tweeted. "With @realDonaldTrump nominating a replacement that values human life, generations of unborn children have a chance to live."

The Georgia lawmaker, a staunch Trump ally, is also running for the Senate seat currently held by Kelly Loeffler in a special election race. Loeffler was appointed to fill the seat left by former Sen. Johnny Isakson when he resigned late last year for health reasons.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Second woman on Supreme Court had been nation's leading litigator for women's rights

Ginsburg, 87, was a pioneer for gender equality during her time on the court. She was known as one of the most liberal justices, and a defender of abortion rights on the basis that a woman should make decisions about her own body.

In one of her most notable opinions, she wrote the dissent to a 2007 ruling that upheld a ban on a form of partial-birth abortions, which she called "an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this court." In 2016, she wrote a concurring stance to the majority rule against Texas restrictions on abortion clinics.

"When a State severely limits access to safe and legal procedures,” she argued, “women in desperate circumstances may resort to unlicensed rogue practitioners, faute de mieux, at great risk to their health and safety.”

Collins was accused of "celebrating" Ginsburg's death by critics on social media. His tweet about Ginsburg's abortion stance was his first and only post about her death on Friday night.

"Doug Collins is celebrating the death of a Supreme Court Justice. Unforgivable. RBG deserves better than this garbage," said Scott Dworkin, founder of the Democratic Coalition.

"After seeing these hideous GOP responses to RBG’s death, it’s clearer than ever this is the most important election of our lives," Dworkin also said.

Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani replied to Collins, "That moment when you're so 'pro-life' you celebrate someone's death."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Doug Collins slammed for tweet on Ruth Bader Ginsburg's abortion stance