Political Quotes

“I come to the floor to express my strong opposition to the bill we are going to be voting on tomorrow morning, and that is a bill to limit women's choice by banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. I would like to make several points today: Why the bill is unconstitutional, the truth about late- term abortions, the bill's rape certification requirements and the absence of a health exception, and, finally, how this debate is much more than this one bill. Let me be clear, Mr. President. This bill is just one part of a sustained assault on a woman's access to health care and her right to make decisions for herself and her family. First, this bill is unconstitutional. Similar State laws banning abortion at 20 weeks have been struck down by the courts. The Supreme Court in the controlling opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 1992, stated: The woman's right to terminate her pregnancy before viability is the most central principle of Roe v. Wade. It is a rule of law and a component of liberty we cannot renounce. Viability refers to the point at which a fetus could survive outside the womb. The Supreme Court's 2007 decision in Gonzales v. Carhart summarizes that portion of the Casey decision stating, ``Before viability, a State may not prohibit a woman from making the ultimate decision to terminate her pregnancy.'' In 2012, Arizona enacted a law prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks. The Ninth Circuit found that statute unconstitutional.…”