NARAL Pro-Choice America Reacts to Introduction of Senate Bill Banning Later Term Abortion

Today, as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) plans to introduce a federal bill to impose a ban on women's rights to access abortion after 20 weeks, NARAL Pro-Choice America released a hard-hitting 60-second television spot. The ad features Dana, a pregnant mother of two, describing her difficult decision to seek later abortion during one of her pregnancies after discovering a fetal anomaly.

WATCH THE AD HERE: https://www.prochoiceamerica.org/media/press-releases/2013/pr11062013_da...

The ad will run on national cable for one week.

"Sen. Graham and his colleagues seem completely ignorant of the real, far-too-often tragic stories of women facing a decision to have an abortion later in their pregnancy," said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. "Instead of playing politics with women's lives, they should stop to listen to stories like Dana Weinstein, whose much-wanted pregnancy was met with a heartbreaking diagnosis every family dreads. These women could also be survivors of rape or incest who are dealing with severe emotional trauma and often can't come to terms with a pregnancy as a result of their attack. No matter the story, women and families deserve the dignity to make this very personal and private decision without political intrusion."

In the ad, Dana says, "As a mother I didn't want to bring a child into this world for her only to exist in immense pain and suffering. I had always thought - personally - that people who needed late-term ignored their prenatal care. It never occurred to me that the reason people are primarily in late-term is because of a horrific fetal anomaly that cannot be detected earlier."

Many 20-week abortion bans do not have exceptions for severe medical conditions or adequate exceptions for the health of the mother. This is true about the bill Sen. Graham is introducing today and the companion legislation which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in June.

Since there is limited access to this care, the only option available to Dana when seeking later abortion was to travel to Colorado, 1500 miles away, putting an incredible emotional and financial strain on her and her family.

"Being able to come to a decision that was right for us is really what's important here," Dana continues in the ad. "And that's not for a legislator to decide."

The ad concludes by urging viewers to tell senators to respect Dana's choice and say "no" to the restrictions that Graham is proposing in his bill.

"Even though federal courts have continued to strike down similar bans, anti-choice politicians are attacking this constitutional right at every level of government," Hogue continued. "NARAL Pro-Choice America will continue to fight these unconstitutional bans no matter where they arise. We are currently working with an on-the-ground coalition in Albuquerque, New Mexico, opposing a ballot measure that would establish the first municipal ban on abortion after 20 weeks."

"Anti-choice conservatives like Sen. Graham continue to pander to their base by using women as pawns," said Hogue. "Instead, they are wasting taxpayer time and money on a blatantly unconstitutional restriction of women's rights, when this country has so many priorities Congress has not yet attended to," Hogue said. "The personal and emotional challenges faced by these women and their families are a private matter best resolved with their doctors and their God. These meddling politicians need to find something else to focus their energy on."