A bill to loosen restrictions on late-term abortions in Virginia is erupting into a fierce partisan clash as video of a General Assembly hearing goes viral. The bill would ease some circumstances under which abortions could be performed as late as the onset of labor. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is being accused by prominent Republicans of supporting infanticide because of comments he made about late-term abortions in which the infant is severely deformed or unable to survive after birth. The Democratic governor and pediatric neurologist was defending efforts to loosen abortion restrictions during a radio interview on WTOP-FM Wednesday when described a hypothetical situation where a severely deformed newborn infant could be left to die. Northam said that if a woman were to desire an abortion as she’s going into labor, the baby would be “resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue” between doctors and the mother. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was one of several Republicans to denounce the comments, tweeting that Northam is openly supporting legal infanticide. Northam’s office said Republicans were mischaracterizing his statement for political gain.
