‘Late-Term Abortion’ Is Medically Inaccurate And Has No Clinical Meaning. Here’s What Else Experts Say Trump Got Wrong About The Issue.
"'Late term' is an invention of anti-abortion extremists to confuse, mislead and increase stigma," says Dr. Jennifer Conti. President Donald Trump pointed to recent controversies surrounding abortion procedures later in pregnancies during his State of the Union speech as he called lawmakers to pass a ban on "late-term abortions." Trump has had success in reaching out to the anti-abortion movement for political support. Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) defends his state's legislation that Trump criticized in the address.
The New York Times:
What Is Late-Term Abortion? Trump Got It Wrong
President Trump on Tuesday evening asked Congress to ban a type of abortion often referred to as “late-term abortion.” He said he wanted to protect “children who can feel pain in the mother’s womb.” He scorned New York’s recently passed Reproductive Health Act, saying that lawmakers had “cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth.” It was an image he has used before, including in a campaign debate with Hillary Clinton. (Belluck, 2/6)
CNN:
Before Judging 'Late-Term Abortion,' Understand What It Means, Doctors Say
CNN spoke with two ob-gyns to explain: Dr. Barbara Levy, vice president of health policy at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a professional organization; and Dr. Jennifer Conti, a fellow with the advocacy group Physicians for Reproductive Health and co-host of The V Word podcast. (Ravitz, 2/6)
The Associated Press:
With Anti-Abortion Push, Trump Woos Evangelicals Again
With a fierce denunciation of late-term abortions, President Donald Trump is making a move to re-energize evangelical voters whose support will be vital in heading off any possible 2020 primary challenge. Trump, at arguably the weakest point of his presidency, seized on abortion during his State of the Union address Tuesday to re-engage on a divisive cultural issue, using both religious rhetoric aimed at conservative Christians and scathing attacks on Democratic lawmakers who support abortion rights — in particular, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. (LeMire and Reccardi, 2/6)
The Associated Press:
Cuomo Defends NY Abortion Law After Criticism From Trump
Gov. Andrew Cuomo defended New York's new abortion law Wednesday after it was criticized by President Donald Trump during the State of the Union address, saying Trump and his conservative allies are lying about the law as part of a broader assault on abortion rights. In an op-ed published in The New York Times on Wednesday, the Democrat also pushed back on Trump's call for a ban on late-term abortion, saying he wants to roll back decades-old court rulings protecting access to the procedure. (Klepper, 2/6)
The Washington Post:
Anti-Abortion Bills: Odds Good In GOP States, Not Congress
President Donald Trump’s call for a ban on late-term abortions is unlikely to prevail in Congress, but Republican legislators in several states are pushing ahead with their own tough anti-abortion bills that they hope can pass muster with the Supreme Court. Two bills proposing to outlaw abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, advanced out of House and Senate committees in the Mississippi Legislature this week, with GOP Gov. Phil Bryant pledging to sign either into law. (Crary, 2/7)
In other news, Politico talks with the head of Planned Parenthood —
Politico:
Pulse Check: Planned Parenthood's Leana Wen
Planned Parenthood's new president vows to fight the Trump administration's latest proposal and reflects on her health care career. (2/7)
