Democratic Delegate Kathy Tran presented a bill on Tuesday (HB2491, or the Repeal Act) that would allow abortions at 40 weeks gestation. FULL TERM – up to the point of dilation.
On top of that, the bill would exempt abortion clinics from a lengthy list of health and safety standards established by state regulators to protect patients from unsafe clinics, much like serial murderer abortionist Kermit Gosnell from Philadelphia and his “House of Horrors.” Gosnell is serving life without parole for the murder of three newborn children-born alive and healthy.
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The bill also calls for repealing the 24-hour waiting period that will eliminate the informed consent materials and remove the transabdominal ultrasound currently required for all women who wish to have a late term abortion, if the woman wants to view it.
Lastly, the bill would repeal the current law that requires two independent physicians must certify the late term abortion is medically necessary, reports The Republican Standard.
The bill is supported by several Dems: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+mbr+HB2491
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WATCH: Virginia Dems Attempt to Pass Bill Allowing Abortions at up to 40 Weeks:
Majority Leader Todd Gilbert (R) asked her about the bill’s leniency, “How late in the third trimester could a physician perform an abortion if he indicated that it would impair the mental health of the woman?” Gilbert asked.
“Or physical health,” Tran snapped back.
“Okay,” Gilbert replied. “I’m talking about the mental health.”
“I mean, through the third trimester,” Tran said. “The third trimester goes up to 40 weeks.”
“Okay, but to the end of the third trimester?” Gilbert asked.
“Yup, I don’t think we have a limit in the bill,” Tran said.
“Where it’s obvious that a woman is about to give birth, she has physical signs that she’s about to give birth, would that still be a point at which she could request an abortion if she was so certified?” Gilbert asked. “She’s dilating.”
Trans responded by saying that would be a decision made by the woman and her doctor. Gilbert pressed about the bill allowing for abortion DIRECTLY BEFORE BIRTH.
“My bill would allow that, yes,” Tran replied.
Midway through the hearing, committee members quizzed Tran on just which mental health conditions would justify abortions up to actual dilation, to which she had no answer for.
“What type of mental health conditions would you anticipate would be utilized by physicians under these circumstances to determine that a child that is otherwise viable is worthy of an abortion?” asked Gilbert.
Rather than answer, Tran reminded Gilbert that she was not a physician, adding zero mental health training would be required of physicians in any determination.
President of the Family Foundation – a Virginia group advocating for socially conservative policies – Victoria Cobb, says the mental health issue is a loophole that would essentially allow late term abortion on demand.
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“The most egregious part of this bill is that it would vastly widen the narrow rationale where our law allows a third trimester abortion, by no longer requiring that a woman’s physical or mental health be ‘substantially and irremediably impaired’ by the concurrence of three doctors.”
“This bill creates abortion, virtually on demand, up until the point of birth.”
Gilbert asked which conditions would require a third trimester abortion on a healthy infant to protect the mother’s physical health.
“Is there any commonly accepted medical decision to terminate the pregnancy in the late term, rather than deliver the child, if the mother’s health or life is actually in danger?” asked Gilbert.
Though Tran wasn’t able to give Gilbert any examples, she passed the microphone to a lobbyist from NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, who also dropped the ball and couldn’t give any examples, but mentioned that she believed such an example happened in Ireland.
This, after New York passed a bill January 22nd, that expands access to an abortion to the third trimester. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Reproductive Health Act, which allows women to have abortions AFTER 24 weeks gestation in cases where “there is an absence of fetal viability, or any time when it’s necessary to protect a patient’s life or health.”
Planned Parenthood- the largest abortion provider in the US of course immediately celebrated Cuomo’s signing the Reproductive Health Act:
The Republicans currently control the House of Delegates 51-49 and the Senate of Virginia 21-19.
Tran’s bill will be reviewed and considered during this legislative session which began Wednesday and is scheduled to run 45 days, through mid-February.
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