On the recordMarch 20, 1997
today I rise as a father of 9 and a grandfather of 30, in strong support of the partial-birth abortion ban and the rule which allows this bill to come to the floor. Today's debate is different from most abortion debates we see on the floor each year. This debate is not about the viability of the fetus, this debate is not when life begins. This is about the killing of an infant. The defenders of partial-birth abortion do not even try to deny that we are talking about a viable human being. Instead, the defenders of partial-birth abortion have always tried to defend it by saying it is only used in cases of protecting the health and future fertility of the woman or the mother. This claim is obviously not true. Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, along with doctors from all over this country, have stated that partial-birth abortions are never medically necessary to protect the health or future fertility of the mother. During the last month the truth regarding this procedure has finally come to surface. The pro-abortion movement has developed a serious credibility problem. Mr. Ron Fitzsimmons, the executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, admitted that he misled Congress. The pro-abortion movement lied about partial-birth abortion. The truth is that this barbaric procedure is not a rarity. Doctors are performing thousands of partial-birth abortions each year.
Said by
Jim Bunning
Source
govinfo.gov