Charles T. Canady: “I will leave it to the candid judgment of the people of this country whether it is the supporters or the opponents of…”

“I will leave it to the candid judgment of the people of this country whether it is the supporters or the opponents of this bill who are interested in reducing the number of abortions performed in America. I think the record of those who are supporting this bill speaks pretty clearly on that subject. It has been contended that partial-birth abortion is, in some cases, necessary to protect the health of the mother. That is simply untrue. Partial-birth abortion is never necessary to protect the health of a woman. Hundreds of obstetricians and gynecologists and maternal fetal specialists have come forward to unequivocally state that partial-birth abortion is never medically necessary to protect a mother's health or her future fertility. On the contrary, this procedure can pose a significant threat to both. The American Medical Association, which is on record in support of abortion rights, supports banning partial-birth abortion because it is not necessary and it is, and I quote, not good medicine.”