Nita Lowey: “my colleagues, we are here today, considering a ban on so-called ``partial-birth abortions'' for the eighth time in…”

“my colleagues, we are here today, considering a ban on so-called ``partial-birth abortions'' for the eighth time in seven years, because the proponents of this bill want to overturn Roe v. Wade. This ban is not about outlawing one method of abortion--it's about access to safe abortion methods used throughout pregnancy. It's not about post-viability abortion--it's about the right of all women to choose. It's about Roe v. Wade. And those who support this ban--much as I respect their convictions--do not want Americans to hear that because they know Americans support to right to choose. Roe v. Wade guaranteed that right to choose by expressing three very important values that make sense and have been widely accepted by the American people. First, the decision to terminate a pregnancy is private and personal, and should be made by a woman and her family without undue interference from the government. At the earliest point in pregnancy, the government has no place in this process. Therefore, a state cannot ban access to abortion before fetal viability, the point at which a fetus can live outside of the woman. Second, a woman must never be forced to sacrifice her life or damage her health in order to bring a pregnancy to term. The woman's life and health must come first and be protected throughout pregnancy. Third, determinations about viability and health risks must be made for each woman by her physician.”