Allow abortion on demand up to the moment of birth. It takes all the state level protections and abolishes them. Bottom, line it doesnt codify roe, mr. Chairman, becomes one of the most extreme laws anywhere in the world. Colorado, new jersey, new mexico, oregon, vermont are passing laws with absolutely no restrictions. The democratic bill is in the same ilk with taxpayer funding. Lets take a look and see how that would put us as a nation regarding the rest of the world. As you see behind me, 47 of 50 European Union nations limit abortion at 15 weeks or below. France is at 14 weeks. China, north korea, iran and a few other nations allow abortion on demand up to the moment of birth. Your bill would put us in that category. 14 week limitations, france, belgium, germany, spain. 12 weeks, denmark and norway. My proposal is having a National Minimum standard of 15 weeks for exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother, pregnancies. Why do we do this . By 15 weeks, and unborn child has teeth, fingers and toes. They begin sucking their thumb or making a fist. Each finger moves independently. Fingerprints have begun to develop. Fully formed organs and can feel pain. If you operate on a 15weekold unborn child, the standard practices to provide anesthesia because a baby can feel pain. Thats why 47 of 50 European Union nations prohibit abortion on demand after 15 weeks. 15 weeks or below. Your proposal, mister chairman, puts america in a category i think most americans reject. Abortion on demand up to the moment of birth, taxpayer funded. Which i believe is barbaric. What do we do . Were going to debate this, topic try to find consensus. But as for me, im going to lend my voice to the idea that america postdobbs should not be like north korea. And china. That america postdobbs should draw a line. States can take their own path up to a point. The line ive drawn it is 15 weeks. A line that puts you in association with the civilized world and rejects the barbaric practice of abortion on demand up to the moment of birth with taxpayer funding. Npr poll today said 66 of american support limiting abortion after 12 weeks. I dont know how long it will take but i do believe overtime in a postdobbs World Americans are going to come to consensus on this issue. The numbers are pretty compelling for early stage abortions. Most americans feel comfortable with a woman making that decision. But the more we learn about the unborn child, the more we understand how it develops. The more were going to have a consensus in this country that there needs to be a point in time, mister chairman, where we draw a line. Allowing abortion on demand up to the moment of birth with taxpayer funding doesnt make america a better place. It makes this an outlier in the civilized world. So, i welcome the debate. Its going to be part of the 2024 election cycle in beyond. I will close with this. This is a moment for america to have some self reflection on a very difficult topic. Why does most of the world, particularly europe, limit abortion at 15 weeks or under . And why would we choose to be north korea and china on this topic . It will be a debate worthy of a great nation. Thank you. Thank you, senator graham. I certainly respect your point of view but i want to respond to it, because youve made reference to a bill that i support. Here are the facts. According to the center for Disease Control, abortions after 21 weeks make up less than 1 of all abortions in the United States. One abortions later in a womans pregnancy happen, they can hardly be considered elective. There are three main reasons why women need access to an abortion late in pregnancy. Maternal health endangerment, diagnosis of severe fetal abnormalities which did not show up until late in the pregnancy, a restrictive state laws that made it difficult for a woman to get an abortion earlier in pregnancy. The exceptionally rare cases that incur after 24 weeks are often because a fetus has a condition that cannot be treated and will never be able to survive. Suchs and its definitely, where the fetus forms without a brain, complete brain or skull, or a limp body wall complex, where the organs develop outside the body cavity. I dont believe this is a nonchalant decision late in pregnancy. I believe this is a medical emergency in many cases. And at the situation, i think the analogy to other countries and their standards does not apply. Today, we welcome five witnesses. And i thank them for joining us. Before we swear the witnesses, and i will briefly introduce the democratic witnesses and turn to senator graham to introduce his witnesses. Our first witness is amanda zurawski. Mr. Of ski has joined us from texas, she is here to talk about her personal experience of being denied health care when her she needed it. Im grateful for your traveling here, this zurawksi. Michelle goodwin, chance was professor of law at university of california irvine. She also serves as the director for biotechnology and Global Health at ucla law. Welcome. Doctor nisha verma its an ob gyn in georgia, where she provides comprehensive Reproductive Health care. She also serves as a fellow with physicians for Reproductive Health. Thank you, dr. Verma. Now senator graham, your witnesses. Thank you, chairman. We have dr. Ingrid stop, is that right . She has been a present Board Certified ob gyn physician in San Antonio Texas for 27 years. She received her bachelor of science in physiology from Oklahoma State and her medical doctor from Washington University school of medicine. She completed a residency at the university of Texas Health Science center, san antonio. Shes a fellow of the American College of ob gyn physicians and a member of the American Association of pro life ob gyn specialists. She is currently practicing with b Hospital Group and is the Vice President of medical affairs for charlotte lausanne or institute. She currently serves as a medical director for anyone can pregnancy resource enter in san antonio, texas and on the medical Advisory Board of save the store. Dr. Monique pretty good . Pretty close . She is a Board Certified ob gyn specialist with over 20 years of experience in patient care. Teaching Research Health policy, Global Health and bio ethics. She graduated from Mount Holyoke college and received her medical degree from brown university, shared a medical degree from harvard and completed a residency at Yale New Haven Hospital and her post doctorate i ship center for Health Services research at the university of chapel hill. Shes a faculty member at the duke University School of medicine from 2003 to 2018. She subsequently served as Senior Deputy assistant administrator at the bureau for global at the United States agency for international development. Shes a Senior Research associate at the center for ethics and culture at the university of notre dame. Her Clinical Career has focused on caring for women in underserved and disadvantaged populations. Especially African Americans and native american communities. With a focus on womens medical, social and psychiatric problems. Thank you. Thank you, senator graham. Let me lay at the mechanics of todays hearing. After we swear in the witnesses, each witness will have five minutes for an opening statement. Then senators will have an opportunity to ask questions for up to five minutes. Can i ask the witnesses to please stand and raise the right hand . Do you swear and affirm the testimony you get before this testimony will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you god . Let the record reflect to the witnesses have all answered at the affirmative. Our first witness will be nice zurawksi. Chairman durbin, Ranking Member graham and members of the Senate Committee on the judiciary, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. My name is Amanda Zurawksi and im here to tell you a bit about my experience with the texas abortion bans. But eight months ago, i was thrilled to be cruising through the second trimester of my first pregnancy. Its carrying our daughter, willow, who had finally, blissfully been conceived after eight months of grueling fertility treatment. My husband josh and i were beyond thrilled. Then, on a sunny august day after i just finish to the invite list for the baby shower my sister was planning for me, everything changed. Some Unexpected Symptoms arrived and i contacted my obstetrician to be safe and was surprised when i was told to come in as soon as possible. After a brief examination, my husband and i received the harrowing news that i had dilated prematurely due to a condition known as cervical insufficiency. Soon, after my membranes ruptured and we are told by multiple doctors at the loss of our daughter was inevitable. It is clear that this was not a question of if we would lose our baby, there is a question of when. Asked what could be done to ensure the respectful passing of our baby and to protect me, now that my body was unprotected and vulnerable. I needed an abortion. I Health Care Team was anguished as they explained there was nothing they could do, because of texass anti abortion laws. The latest of which had taken effect two days after my water broke. It meant, but even though we would, with complete certainty, lose willow, my doctors didnt feel safe enough to intervene as long as her heart was beating or until i was sick enough for the ethics board at the hospital to consider my life at risk. I shouldnt have had to wait in anguish for days for the inescapable ill fate that awaited. But this was august, 2022 in the state of texas, where abortion is illegal unless the pregnant person is facing a lifethreatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by or arising from a pregnancy. People have asked biden travel to a state where the laws arent so restrictive, but we live in the middle of texas and the nearest sanctuary status at least an eight hour drive. Developing sepsis, a condition that can kill in under an hour in a car in the middle of the west texas desert or on an airplane is a death sentence. And its not a choice we should have even had to consider in the first place. How we could do was wait. I cannot adequately put the words the trauma and despair that comes with waiting to lose either your own life, your child or both. For days i was locked in this bizarre and avoidable. Would willows heart stop or what i deteriorate to the brink of death . Dancer arrived three long days later. In a matter of minutes, i went from being physically healthy to developing a raging fever and dangerously low blood pressure. My husband rushed me to the hospital, where we soon learned i wasnt septic shock. Made evident by my violent teeth chattering and in capacity to even respond to questions. Several hours later, after stabilizing just enough to deliver our stillborn daughter, my vitals crashed again. In the middle of the night, i was rapidly transferred to the icu, where i would stay for three days as medical professionals battled to save my life. What i needed was an abortion, a standard medical procedure. And abortion would have prevented the unnecessary harm and suffering that i endured. That only the psychological trauma that came with three days of waiting, but the physical harm my body suffered, the extent of which is still being determined. Two things i know for sure. The preventable harm inflicted on meat has already made it harder for me to get pregnant again. The barbaric restrictions that are being passed across the country are having real life implications on real people. I may have been one of the first two is affected by the overturning of roe in texas, but im certainly not the last. More people have been and will continue to be harmed until we do something about it. You have the power to fix this. You owe it to me and to willow and to every other person who may become pregnant in this country to protect our right to safe and Accessible Health care. Emergency or no emergency. No one should have to worry about the life of their loved ones simply because there was child. Your job is to protect the lives of the people who elected you. Not endanger them. Being pregnant is difficult and complicated enough, we do not need you to make it even more terrifying. And frankly downright dangerous to create life in this country. This has gone on long enough and its time now for you to do your job, your duty, and protect us. Thank you. Doctor skop, please proceed. Thank you, chairman durbin, Ranking Member graham and members of the committee. As you have heard, im doctor and grid skop, a Board Certified obstetrician practicing a texas for over 30 years. Today advocate for both of my patients, a woman and her unborn child. Every successful abortion and the life of one of my patients and often harms the other as well. In the coming legislative session, senator graham will likely reintroduce federal minimum protections limiting elective abortion after 15 weeks gestation. With exceptions for rape, incest and the life and health of the mother. Conversely, senator baldwin has reintroduced the Womens Health protection act, which ironically does nothing to protect the health of a pregnant woman from a dangerous abortion. The unburnt human life its never acknowledged and abortion is presented as procedurally and morally equivalent to a vasectomy or a colonoscopy. This proposed legislation insist there can be no common sense safeguards to protect a woman. The words choice, voluntary and consent are completely missing. Opening the door to others who will benefit from abortion. Sex traffickers, incestuous abusers and on whaling fathers. And provider is not required to be a physician or even medically licensed. Despite its euphemistic name, the Womens Health protection act prioritizes the death of the unborn human at the expense of the health or even the desires of a pregnant woman. A woman and her unborn child are not natural enemies. Most pregnancies ended delivery of a healthy baby to a healthy mother. Media sources have misinformed to the public, alleging that abortion limits will prevent an obstetrician from providing necessary medical care, increasing Maternal Mortality. This is not true. Every legal restriction protecting unborn life allows a physician to use his reasonable medical judgment. That is, to follow the standard of care to determine what to intervene in a medical emergency. Lets compare how second trimester regulations versus unlimited portion throughout pregnancy will actually impact american women. 90 of abortions in the second half of pregnancy are obtained for the same reasons as early abortions. Social and financial concerns. Additionally, there are other important factors. Coercion and a decision. Nine months is a long time for a woman who desires her child to say no to a coercive partner. Decisional uncertainty leaves a woman likely to regret aborting a baby whose kicks she can feel and with whom she has begun to bond. The physical risk of abortion increases as pregnancy progresses. The risk of Maternal Death to the 76 times higher in the second half of pregnancy compared to in early abortion. The dilation and evacuation procedure used for multiple most later abortions involves focusing organist wrong muscular cervix and blind insertion of sharp instruments to dismember and extract a struggling fetus and may cause hemorrhage, cervical damage, retain tissue and uterine preparation. Mental Health Complications including anxiety, depression, suicide and substance and alcohol abuse are higher after abortion. Particularly after late over coerced abortions or if there are preexisting Mental Health issues. European records linkage studies document a woman has six times the risk of suicide in the year following an abortion compared to childbirth. Unfortunately, the u. S. Centers for Disease Control does not even attempt to link Mental Health deaths to abortion in its dramatically incomplete Maternal Mortality data. Americans intuitively recognize these risks as three quarters support a limitation at 15 weeks and only one in ten support abortion without gestational limits. Extremely late abortions are sometimes perform by labor inducted because the fetus has grown too large to easily dismember. European studies document over half of babies survive induction abortion and 69 of u. S. Late term abortions in this report they do not routinely kill the fetus first, so it is likely that many babies survived late abortions and then our passively or actively killed. Infanticide used to be a red line, but no longer. As legislative protection for these unfortunate children has repeatedly been rejected. Fetal Neurological Research documents that the pathway is required for pain perception are in place by 15 weeks gestation. During an abortion, the fetus displays all the responses that we to it exhibit if we were torn limb from limb. Ive cared for many tiny babies, delivered at the edge of viability, around 22 weeks. Their precious faces express pain when theyre fragile bodies undergo therapeutic procedures. Fetal surgery as early as 15 weeks