Mazie Hirono: “I would like to first thank Senator Murray for her steadfast leadership in the fight to protect women's healthcare and…”

“I would like to first thank Senator Murray for her steadfast leadership in the fight to protect women's healthcare and for arranging this time for us to speak this afternoon. The legislation we are debating today is just the latest salvo in the far-right wing assault on a woman's constitutionally protected right to an abortion. With all due respect to my colleague from Nebraska who introduced this legislation, this bill is a solution in search of a problem. Contrary to what the proponents of this bill argue, it is and has always been a crime to harm or kill newborn babies. People guilty of this crime can already be charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Let's be clear. The Senate isn't debating this legislation today because there is an epidemic of infanticide in this country. There is not one. There isn't one. I can hardly say it because it is really not happening; therefore, this bill is a solution in search of a problem. Instead, we are indulging the majority's use of a false premise to inflame the public, shame women, and intimidate healthcare providers. When you strip away the ultraconservative rhetoric, you are left with a very simple argument from supporters of this legislation--that the moral judgment of rightwing politicians in Washington, DC, should supersede a medical professional's judgment and a woman's decision. Conservative politicians should not be telling doctors how they should care for their patients.…”