Jerry Nadler: “I thank the gentlemen for yielding the time to me. Madam Speaker, more than 40 years ago, the Supreme Court held that…”

“I thank the gentlemen for yielding the time to me. Madam Speaker, more than 40 years ago, the Supreme Court held that women have the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy prior to viability or at any time to protect the life and health of the mother. This bill is flatly unconstitutional on both counts. The Supreme Court has blocked every other 20-week ban because 20 weeks is well before the point of viability. Further, the bill includes no exception for the health of the mother, only waiving the ban if a woman's life is at imminent risk, in clear violation of a woman's constitutional rights. Shamefully, the bill places new and cruel restrictions even on women accessing abortion after rape or incest. Once again, the Republicans are proclaiming the falsehood that 20- week-old fetuses can feel pain, contrary to the conclusions of every reputable researcher in the field. What about women like Danielle from New York, who found out in the 29th week of her pregnancy that her baby's brain was dangerously deformed and that, if she and the baby were to survive the pregnancy, the baby would only live a short, extremely painful life. Danielle and her husband had two young children and faced a heartbreaking decision: Should they put Danielle and their family through the pain and suffering of a dangerous pregnancy and birth and allow their baby to suffer and die in pain, or should she terminate the pregnancy and mourn their baby as a family?…”