Tim Kaine: “I rise to speak about the recent uptick in State efforts to criminalize abortion. These proposals, which have been…”

“I rise to speak about the recent uptick in State efforts to criminalize abortion. These proposals, which have been passed in eight States just this year and that have been proposed in many others, impose harsh criminal penalties on women who have abortions or on doctors who terminate pregnancies. The laws deny women the freedom to make their own healthcare choices. Therefore, they clearly violate the constitutional protections established in Roe v. Wade and subsequent cases. In fact, many of the proponents of these laws openly advertise them as being part of a strategy to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and to return to the days when States used the criminal law to punish women and doctors for contraception and abortion. Abortion is a contentious issue. People feel so strongly about it. I understand that. I feel strongly about it, too. It can sometimes appear that there is little common ground between people who call themselves pro-choice and people who call themselves pro-life, but there is common ground among so many of us. For example, Americans with many different views on abortion overwhelmingly believe that Roe v. Wade should remain the law of the land. More than 70 percent of Americans support the decision and believe it shouldn't be overturned. People understand that, whatever they think about abortion for themselves and their own families, they do not believe the State should make the decision for every woman.…”