Bill Clinton: “Now, if these bills were to pass, each of these women would have been forced to carry their babies to term, only to see…”

“Now, if these bills were to pass, each of these women would have been forced to carry their babies to term, only to see a child with such severe abnormalities die upon or shortly after birth. Their choices would have been limited not because of their moral and religious beliefs--which I deeply respect--nor because of their medical advice--which I can't possibly second-guess--but because of their Government. I have to respectfully disagree with my colleagues about mental health. If we have learned anything in the last several decades, it is that there is no artificial divide between mental and physical health. The mind and the body are a totally integrated system. One affects the other. I believe that mental health is health. And I believe that forcing a woman to carry a child she knows will die is an assault not only on her mental health but on our values as a nation and a free people. Part of the reason I feel so strongly about this is because as First Lady, I had the great privilege of traveling around the world representing our country.”