Brooks Responds to Wolf Veto of Senate Bill 3

Sen. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford County), sponsor of Senate Bill 3, responded to the governor’s veto with the following statement:

“I am extremely disappointed with the Governor’s veto and the misinformation that opponents have spread about the bill.  But my greatest disappointment is that we will be unable to protect so many babies in the future, who will never know the joy of living in this world.

One of the biggest myths about this bill is that it would ban all D and E procedures; it would not.

The people who say this legislation is ‘radical’ and ‘cruel’ are the same people who believe it is acceptable to tear the arms and legs off a six-month-old baby in utero.  That’s cruel and radical. I find it radical and cruel for the governor to protect someone on death row who could have raped and murdered women, but pulling a baby apart limb from limb is somehow acceptable, and they are innocent.

After talking to doctors, they have confirmed that testing can be done at 17 or 18 weeks of the pregnancy, thus providing mothers and fathers with the medical information they need to make informed choices.

Thanks to the latest advances in technology, a baby can survive outside the womb much earlier than 24 weeks. Our laws must now catch up with science.  Rolling back the legal age of viability from 24 to 20 weeks updates the law to reflect the latest advancements in fetal and maternal medicine.

I’ve spoken with doctors who agree with this legislation and say testing can be done at 18 weeks and before.

It is important to argue about facts, and not merely parrot the talking points of Planned Parenthood.

My prayers are with the governor that one day his heart will soften and he will understand how horrific the dismemberment abortion procedure is.”


Here are the facts about Senate Bill 3:

–Senate Bill 3 does not ban D&E (dilation and evacuation) abortions. Under current law a 6-month in utero baby during a D&E can be torn apart limb by limb for it to bleed to death. Senate Bill 3 requires that tearing the baby apart cannot cause the death of the baby, but instead it must be injected by saline to cause its death before its arms and legs are ripped off and then the abortion can then proceed using the D&E procedure.

–The bill does not change existing law, under the Abortion Control Act, in its application to cases of rape and incest. A women who became pregnant through rape or incest can still terminate the pregnancy at up to 20 weeks—5 months –gestation.

–The bill does not place new penalties on doctors who violate the law. These penalties are in the existing Abortion Control Act.

–The bill does not force a mother to carry a stillborn to term or to put her own health in danger. A clear legal exception is included in the bill to protect the health and well-being of the mother.

–Even many Pennsylvanians who are pro-abortion believe the procedure of tearing a baby apart by its arms and legs when the baby is developed enough to live outside the womb is indefensible.  If a person is going to choose an abortion, it must be done in the most humane way possible, and how can anyone say ripping the baby apart while it is alive is the most humane way?”

Contact:          Diane McNaughton                              (717) 787-1322

                        dmmcnaughton@pasen.gov 

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