Jerry Nadler: “this bill says very clearly that a fetus is more important than the physical health of the mother. But this bill is not…”

“this bill says very clearly that a fetus is more important than the physical health of the mother. But this bill is not about abortion. We all have different views. Some people view abortion as murder. Some think it is perfectly permissible. Some think it permissible up to a certain stage, others to a later stage. The Supreme Court says the constitutionally guaranteed right to choose is until viability. But this bill is not about abortion, it is about electoral politics. If an abortion is permitted under our law at 20 weeks or at 23 weeks or at 24 weeks, what moral distinction, what moral distinction is there between whether the fetus is killed in the uterus and then extracted or partially extracted and then killed? The fetus is still dead, it is an abortion. An abortion involves killing a fetus. We have different views on abortion here, but the Supreme Court, the Constitution guarantees the right to abortion. There is no moral distinction. It is purely electoral politics, an electoral politics in which the majority wishes to put the health of the mother at risk. Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly oppose this unprecedented and mean- spirited assault on the constitutional right to choose. What this bill says very clearly is that a fetus is more important than the physical health of the mother.”