FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 22, 2012
Contact: Taylor Thornley
Phone: (804) 225-4262
Email: Taylor.Thornley@Governor.Virginia.Gov 

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement today regarding SB 484, a bill before the General Assembly that would require an ultrasound prior to an abortion being performed. 

“I am pro-life. I believe deeply in the sanctity of innocent human life and believe governments have a duty to protect human life. The more our society embraces a culture of life for all people, the better country we will have. Over the course of my 20-year career in elected office, I have been glad to play a leading role in putting in place common-sense policies that protect and defend innocent human life in the Commonwealth. One of those bills was Virginia’s informed consent statute, of which I was the chief patron in the House of Delegates, finally seeing its passage in 2001. This session, the General Assembly is now considering amending this informed consent statute to include a requirement that any woman seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound in order to establish the gestational age for appropriate medical purposes, and to offer a woman the opportunity to voluntarily review that ultrasound prior to giving her legal informed consent to abortion. 

Over the past days I have discussed the specific language of the proposed legislation with other governors, physicians, attorneys, legislators, advocacy groups, and citizens. It is apparent that several amendments to the proposed legislation are needed to address various medical and legal issues which have arisen. It is clear that in the majority of cases, a routine external, transabdominal ultrasound is sufficient to meet the bills stated purpose, that is, to determine gestational age. I have come to understand that the medical practice and standard of care currently guide physicians to use other procedures to find the gestational age of the child, when abdominal ultrasounds cannot do so. Determining gestational age is essential for legal reasons, to know the trimester of the pregnancy in order to comply with the law, and for medical reasons as well. 

Thus, having looked at the current proposal, I believe there is no need to direct by statute that further invasive ultrasound procedures be done. Mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state. No person should be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state, without their consent, as a precondition to another medical procedure. 

For this reason, I have recommended to the General Assembly a series of amendments to this bill. I am requesting that the General Assembly amend this bill to explicitly state that no woman in Virginia will have to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound involuntarily. I am asking the General Assembly to state in this legislation that only a transabdominal, or external, ultrasound will be required to satisfy the requirements to determine gestational age. Should a doctor determine that another form of ultrasound may be necessary to provide the necessary images and information that will be an issue for the doctor and the patient. The government will have no role in that medical decision. 

I have requested other amendments that help clarify the purposes of the bill and reflect a better understanding of prevailing medical practices. It is my hope that the members of the General Assembly will act favorably upon these recommendations from our office. We will await their action prior to making any further comments on this matter.”

“She said the purpose of the ultrasound bill was to show women that there is a fetus inside their womb. ‘Excuse me, but don’t you think that’s why a woman is seeking an abortion to begin with?’ she asked.”

Klein regularly testifies on behalf of the abortion industry, and was speaking today at an abortion industry press conference.

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Please click here to contact your Delegate this morning and urge them to vote YES on SB 484 with NO amendments!

Seven (7) states have laws that require an ultrasound for each abortion and require the abortion provider to offer the opportunity to view the image: AL, AZ, FL, LA, NC, OK and MS.  Despite the hype and hysteria by opponents and media sympathizers, Virginia is not breaking new legal or medical ground.

If an abortionist is required to do a transabdominal ultrasound and, upon seeing no fetus, is then legally permitted to perform an abortion without any further proof of life, we have done a tremendous disservice to the health and safety of women of Virginia.  An abortion doctor can then begin an abortion, causing emotion distress and monetary cost to the woman, for no reason, as there may not even be a pregnancy.  It can also be unsafe, due to lack of knowledge of the gestational position and number (#) of fetus’ to be aborted.

Furthermore, failure to confirm the pregnancy by transabdominal ultrasound before invasive surgery should require all necessary precautions (including, if appropriate, a transvaginal ultrasound) be taken to rule out a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.  Planned Parenthood’s own website and the National Abortion Federation (NAF) “standards” indicate that this is already done as the standard of care.  If so, why is the industry screaming so loudly?

While one would hope all necessary diagnostic tests would be done prior to an abortion in compliance with the appropriate standard of care for any doctor doing this procedure, abortion is not and cannot be treated/trusted like any other medical profession.  The industry has proven itself to be wholly unreliable to self-police.  This was never more clearly exposed than in the Gosnell case in Philadelphia where NAF knew the horrific situation in that clinic, which ultimately resulted in a grand jury indictment, and NAF did not blow the whistle to save women.

Finally, no one is mandated or compelled to have any ultrasound.  The bill is informed consent.  A woman, once told that the ultrasound is required prior to the abortion, can choose to not consent to either.

ACTION: Please contact your Delegate this morning by clicking here and urge them to vote YES SB 484 with NO amendments.

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Opinion
———–
Editorial: More choices for success

This shift in philosophy in Richmond was not going to happen quietly.  Liberals who had spent a decade obstructing common sense legislation are not sitting idly by.  However, the pitch and tone of the opponent rhetoric is what is surprising.  Not content with their normal misleading statements, liberals in both the House and Senate are making preposterous claims.  One example of this – Senator Ralph Northam (D-6, Virginia Beach), a medical doctor, claimed that a woman might become so emotionally traumatized over an offer to view an ultrasound image that she might consider suicide!  Unfortunately, the hysterical ranting from liberals is being carried unchallenged in too many media outlets.

Today was no exception, as a crowd lined up outside the Capitol to “silently” protest the “assault on women’s rights” that they claim is taking place this year, one Democrat in the House made the hysterical claim that we are moving Virginia “back 100 or 200 years!”  Outside, one “protestor” strapped a sign to the baby carriage that held her nine-month old child, which read, “This was a choice.”

Unfortunately, conservative legislators are being viscously attacked in both the media and in emails to their offices, some of which is far too vitriolic and offensive to repeat here.  Yet to this point, nothing has passed both chambers and been sent to the Governor’s desk for his signature.  Based on media stories and speeches by liberal legislators, one would think no other legislation has been debated, much less passed.  But when the media simply repeats their rants instead of explaining the facts, an uninformed citizenry can become confused.

I urge you today to email your Senator and Delegate and encourage them to stand strong for pro-life, pro-family principles in the face of this out-of-control rhetoric.  I can attest that a person can grow weary of being under constant attack by the media simply for doing what is right.  We have to ensure that our conservative legislators hear from us today!

ACTION: Contact your Senator and Delegate and encourage them to stand strong for pro-family, pro-life principles!

http://www.votervoice.net/groups/vaff/advocacy/?issueid=27606

On Friday after almost an hour of intense debate, SB 131, patroned by Senators Bill Stanley (R-20, Moneta) and Mark Obenshain (R-26, Harrisonburg), and supported by Governor Bob McDonnell, passed the Senate floor!  SB 131 is bill that provides a tax credit for corporate and individual donations to scholarship programs.

In recent years, school choice advocates have watched similar bills progress with glacial speed in the Senate: first the bill wasn’t even heard in committee, the next year it was heard but didn’t receive a motion, then it received a motion but no second, then it received a second but failed to garner a majority, and then this year not only did it report out of committee, but it passed the full Senate.  The Family Foundation was reminded today by one of our pastors of Galatians 6:9 which admonishes us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give us.”  These words ring true in our hearts today as we remember the years and years we have labored with no results.

Thanks to Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling’s tie breaking vote, SB 131 passed the Senate on a party line 20-20 vote and will continue on to the House.  A similar bill, HB 321, patroned by Delegate Jimmie Massie (R-72, Henrico), passed the House 64-35 earlier this session.  Still, it is premature to call this bill a finished product as many details need to be addressed – we must continue to advocate until the Governor’s signature is on the dotted line.

Tremendous thanks goes to all who spoke in favor of the bill during today’s debate (Senators Stanley, Obenshain, Watkins, Black, Carrico, Stuart, and Garrett to name a few), but a special thank you goes to Senator Walter Stosch (R-12, Glen Allen), chairman of the Senate Finance committee who eloquently defended the bill’s merits today.  Senator Stosch put to rest rumors of the bill requiring state dollars and spoke to the efficacy of the program citing An Achievable Dream, a Newport News school seeking to break the cycle of poverty through a quality education, funded in part through a private donation program.

Other notable comments came from the opposition.  Senator Dick Saslaw (D-35, Springfield), in a characteristically-consistent display of sarcasm, tried to frighten his colleagues with what he perceived as a drawback … the bill’s provisions might be renewed past its 2017 sunset and actually have a lasting impact!  Trying to prove his point that the bill would be a lasting policy change, not one that will actually expire on its sunset, Senator Saslaw promised to “parachute off the building” if the bill isn’t renewed.

Senator John Edwards (D-21, Roanoke) complained that Virginia’s public schools have too high of a teacher-student ratio and thus we should “fully fund” public education prior to considering a school choice tax credit – ironic though as SB 131 could actually serve to decrease the teacher-student ratio as kids are benefited with scholarships to attend private schools.  Senators Chap Petersen (D-34, Fairfax) and Henry Marsh (D-16, Richmond) went so far as to claim school choice tax credits violate the separation of church and state although a reasoned review of the Virginia Constitution proves that point moot.  In the end, all attempts to silence the school choice movement came to a halt as the votes were cast and for the first time in Virginia history, low-income parents were afforded the right to choose the best educational opportunity for their children.

For all of you who contacted your Senator and urged him or her to vote in favor of school choice – thank you.  In fact, Senator John Watkins (R-10, Midlothian) who initially voted against the bill in committee switched his vote after some additional research and consideration this week and voted in favor of the bill today.  Your calls and emails made a difference.  Thank you.

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