Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D) appeared on WTOP’s “Ask The Governor” show Wednesday morning to comment on the highly controversial abortion bill that was heard in a House of Delegates subcommittee earlier this week. Northam, a pediatric neurologist by trade, was defending efforts to loosen abortion restrictions when he described a hypothetical situation where a newborn infant could be left to die.
The Repeal Act, introduced as H.B. 2491 by Delegate Kathy Tran (D-Springfield), would repeal restrictions on third trimester abortions, allow abortion doctors to self-certify the necessity of late term procedures, eliminate informed consent requirements, repeal abortion clinic health and safety standards, permit late term abortions to be performed in outpatient clinics, remove ultrasound requirements, and eliminate Virginia’s 24-hour waiting period.
Under current law, third trimester abortions in Virginia require the certification of two independent doctors, both of whom must verify that the continuation of the pregnancy would “substantially and irremediably impair the mental or physical health of the woman.” The bill would significantly relax that standard, removing the words “substantially and irremediably,” allowing the doctor performing the abortion to self-certify the procedure which he or she will perform, without a second opinion, even in cases where a healthy infant could be delivered without risk of physical harm to the woman.
Below is the exchange with WTOP and Governor Northam:
“If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen,” the governor responded when asked about the legislation. “The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother,” Northam added, implying that the physician and mother would discuss whether the newly-born child should either live or die.
In an interview with The Daily Caller on Wednesday, President Donald Trump came out with very harsh criticism of both Governor Northam and Delegate Tran for their advocacy of late-term abortion.
“I’m surprised that he did that, I’ve met him a number of times,” Trump said of the governor. The president also said that Delegate Tran’s remarks were “terrible,” after having seen the video.
Below is the video of Delegate Tran explaining her bill to the House subcommittee.
“Do you remember when I said Hillary Clinton was willing to rip the baby out of the womb? That’s what it is, that’s what they’re doing, it’s terrible,” he added.
“This is going to lift up the whole pro-life movement like maybe it’s never been lifted up before,” President Trump proclaimed. “I think this will very much lift up the issue because people have never thought of it in those terms.”