South Carolina Abortion Laws: Quotes From Heated Debate

South Carolina is seeking to join a number of states to ban abortions after 20 weeks without a notable health exception. In the past few months, various versions of such a bill have passed through both houses.

Here are quotes pulled from the heated debate over new abortion laws in South Carolina:

"The reality is that abortion in later pregnancy is extremely rare and it usually happens in heartbreaking situations where a woman and her doctor need every medical option available."
– Alyssa Miller, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic spokeswoman, explained to Reuters, what consequences the 20-week restriction could impose

Vote Now: Do You Support Tougher Regulations on Abortion Clinics?

"It's the South Carolina Senate saying 'we know better than you and we know better than your physician."
– Alyssa Miller, to The Post and Courier, furthering her objections of the abortion bill

"This was a victory for the rights of the unborn."
– South Carolina state Sen. Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) told The State after the state Senate abortion bill passed

"What we like to remind people is that pro-life legislation saves babies' lives. We have data beginning in 1970 that shows a clear correlation between the passage of these kinds of laws and a decrease in abortion. We have worked to get 14 pieces of pro-life legislation passed in South Carolina since 1988 and during the same time period, we have witnessed a 58 percent decrease in abortions."
– Holly Gatling, executive director of South Carolina Citizens for Life, told the National Catholic Reporter, in response to a question regarding the importance of state-level pro-life measures

"I don't believe abortion, five months into pregnancy, makes us a better nation. I look forward to leading this long-overdue effort and pushing for a roll call vote in the Senate,"
– South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham who reintroduced a federal version of the 20-week abortion ban two weeks after a federal appeals court ruled such a ban was unconstitutional, said in a statement

"As an ob-gyn, I know firsthand the reasons why women may need abortion care after 20 weeks, and I have seen the pain that many of these women are in when confronting these decisions. Yet this ban would force physicians to deny services, even to women who have made the difficult decision to end pregnancies for reasons including fetal anomalies diagnosed later in pregnancy or other unexpected obstetric outcomes. This is simply cruel."
– Dr. Mark DeFrancesco, the president of the American Congress of Gynecologists and Obstetricians, voiced strong opposition to Graham's bill to The Huffington Post

Vote Here: Should Abortion Clinics Be Subject to Tougher Regulations?

Related Stories:

• South Carolina Abortion Laws and How They Compare Nationally
• South Carolina Abortion Laws and How They Differ From Neighboring States