ACLU Statement on Proposed 20 Week Abortion Ban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212-549-2666, media@aclu.org
WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution today held a hearing on the so-called Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. As introduced, the proposed ban would apply only to the District of Columbia, but its sponsor, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), recently announced his intention to expand it nationwide.
“This ban shamefully plays politics with a woman’s well-being,” said Sarah Lipton-Lubet, American Civil Liberties Union policy counsel. “We’ve seen extremist lawmakers in state legislatures across the country try to limit a woman’s ability to make the best decision for herself and her family. Congress should not buy into this dangerous and disturbing trend.”
Earlier this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit struck down a similar Arizona law that would ban almost all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The law was challenged by the ACLU, the ACLU of Arizona, and the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of three physicians and their patients.
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The American Civil Liberties Union is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America.
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The ACLU works to ensure that every person can make the best decision for themselves and their family about whether and when to have a child without undue political interference.