DON'T BE FOOLED

Maine’s two US Senators recently voted in support of partial birth abortions. They voted against S. 6 presented by Senator Rick Santorum which would have banned partial birth abortions except in cases of the life of the mother. They voted for a sham substitute - the Daschle amendment - which was overwhelmingly rejected by the full Senate. In a bold display of arrogance, both Collins and Snowe went to the rostrum together to defend their barbaric votes. Their public comments and letters to constituents are misleading and may even lead some pro-life people to accept their statements.

SNOWE / COLLINS "I supported an amendment that would have banned all abortions involving a viable fetus..."

THE TRUTH

There is no restriction on any partial birth abortion before the point that the abortionist declares that an infant is "viable", which provides complete freedom to perform partial birth abortions in the fifth and sixth months -- when most partial birth abortions are performed. Most partial birth abortions are performed on the healthy infants of healthy mothers in the fifth and sixth months of pregnancy, not the third trimester. The Daschle amendment will not stop one of these partial birth abortions.

SNOWE / COLLINS "... with an exception for those cases certified by a physician which risk the life of the mother or grievous injury to her physical health."

THE TRUTH

The abortionist may still perform an abortion even in the third trimester if a paper is signed which asserts that "in his or her best medical judgment" the continuation of the pregnancy would threaten the mother’s life or risk grievous injury to her physical health. The certification is based not on objective medical facts but on the abortionist’s subjective discretion. If the certification was challenged in court, the court would decide based on whether the abortionist believed the statement he signed, not on subjective medical facts.

SNOWE / COLLINS "Grievous injury was narrowly and precisely defined in Senator Daschle’s amendment."

THE TRUTH

Dr. Warren Hern, a third trimester abortionist in Colorado, says "I will certify that any pregnancy is a threat to a woman’s life and could cause grievous injury to her physical health." If Dr. Hern signed a paper that asserted this belief, he would satisfy the certification exception.

SNOWE / COLLINS "As the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists has said: "The intervention of legislative bodies into medical decision making is inappropriate, ill advised, and dangerous."

THE TRUTH

ACOG also stated "ACOG could identify no circumstances under which this procedure...would be the only option to save the life or preserve the health of the woman."The American Medical Association supports the ban. And over 700 physicians have stated that there is never a medical reason to perform a partial birth abortion.

SNOWE / COLLINS "...a physician would face a $100,000 - $250,000 penalty and a medical license suspension or a permanent revocation of their license."

THE TRUTH

The only way an abortionist could face a penalty would be for him to voluntarily indict himself on two counts - by stating "I killed a fetus who I affirm was indeed viable" and to refuse the authority the amendment would grant him to self-authorize the abortion.