Planned Parenthood Action Fund Condemns Dangerous, Intrusive 20-Week Abortion Ban

WASHINGTON, DC — Planned Parenthood Action Fund condemned Senator Lindsey Graham’s introduction of the 20-week abortion ban in the U.S. Senate today. After a very public debate detailing the “definitional problem of rape,” Lindsey Graham has proven himself to be a tireless opponent of women’s health. A similar bill passed last month in Congress, despite opposition from doctors and leading medical experts.

Statement from Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

“There is no science or medicine behind this bill — just politics. Leading medical groups oppose these bills as do the majority of the American public when they understand the reality that women and their families face when seeking abortion at 20 weeks in pregnancy.

“While women should not have to justify their personal medical decisions, the reality is that abortion at 20 weeks in pregnancy is very rare and often happens under very complex circumstances — the very kind of circumstances where a woman and her doctor need every medical option available to them.

“At Planned Parenthood, our top priority is making sure that every woman, no matter where she lives, can make her own personal, private health care decisions without interference from politicians. We urge the Senate to reject this bill for what it is — part of a broader effort to chip away at abortion access — and instead focus on moving the country forward.”

Five reasons Lindsay Graham’s colleagues in the Senate should reject the 20-week ban:

Abortions at 20 weeks are very rare and often happen under complex circumstances. Nearly 99 percent of abortions happen before 21 weeks.
When politicians pass laws like this, it’s women and their families who suffer.
A solid 60 percent of voters oppose 20-week bans when they understand the real-world impact these laws would have.
Doctors oppose these laws because they prevent them from giving their patients the best health care possible in an individual situation.
This bill is clearly part of a larger agenda to ban abortion completely.

You can read Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s one-pager on Lindsey Graham and the race to the bottom on women’s health in the 2016 presidential primary here.