What's Driving Push For Late Term Abortions?

Democrats are unfurling legislation in states across the country to expand laws allowing abortion up to the point of birth.  An early success in New York state has ignited a wave of similar proposals, fueling a simmering national debate that is roiling an already contentious political climate.

The initial shot was fired last month when the Democratic-controlled New York legislature authorized sweeping new measures to allow so-called late-term abortions.  The bill was promoted under the pretense to save women from traveling out of state for abortions after the 24th week of pregnancy.

The bill doesn't just preserve abortion rights, which are legal in every state, it allows the procedure past the 24th week if the health of the mother is endangered, which can be interpreted as mental or emotional conditions.  Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Catholic, championed the legislation.

A similar law was voted down in the Virginia legislature after an advocate, Kathy Tran, described the grisly details of a life-or-death decision occurring even as the baby is being born.  That chilling prospect had opponents labeling the law "infanticide." Virginia's Democrat governor backed the law.

Vermont lawmakers are considering a bill that would go beyond the New York law. The proposal would allow for the procedure to be performed up until the point of birth for any reason.  The proposed law states "a fertilized egg, embryo or fetus shall not have independent rights" in Vermont.

Americans might be bewildered by this blitzkrieg for extending term limits on abortion.  A Marist poll of adults nationwide found that 76 percent of Americans favor limiting abortion to the first three months of pregnancy. That number included 60 percent of adults who self-identified as pro-choice.

No evidence was presented during the New York debate to suggest women are clamoring for the right to abort babies up until the moment of birth.  It begs the question: Why was the Democratic dominated legislature aggressively pushing this agenda?

No factual argument can be made there is limited access to abortions in the United States.  Just since 2000, there have been 11,204,207 legal abortions, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The abortion rate in 2015 was 118 abortions for every 1,000 live births.

In New York, the state's figures were among the highest in the nation.  A CDC report shows New York City preformed 544 abortions for every 1,000 live births. That means about one in three unborn babies were aborted.  Abortion access is a red herring to promote the aggressive expansion.

To justify their campaign, Democrats are spreading fear that the current Supreme Court will limit the right to an abortion.  This smoke screen is one Democrats have used ever since the landmark Roe vs. Wade high court decision in 1973 confirmed a women's right to have an abortion.

After 46 years, the decision remains intact.  To demonstrate the folly of their claims, last week the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to temporarily block a Louisiana law that placed restrictions on abortion clinics, requiring providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.

Isn't it time for Democrats to stop using this canard?  The late-term abortion issue has nothing to do with their fabrication of a Roe vs. Wade reversal. The party is eyeing the pivotal 2020 presidential election and planning to once again play identity politics with a "women's right to choose."

Their new tactic is to force Republicans to try to defeat this legislation so Democrats can smear the party as misogynist, Neanderthals who want to enslave women and deny them the right to control their bodies.  It is right out of the Democrats antiquated playbook to galvanize their female base.

But Democrats may have miscalculated Americans' sentiment on this issue.  As polling suggests, there is little support even among pro-choice advocates for ending the lives of babies seconds before birth. When the procedure's macabre details are explained, most Americans recoil in horror.

The latest CDC data found 91.1 percent of all abortions are performed less than 13 weeks after pregnancy.  Fewer than 1.3 percent are done after 21 weeks.  There are no facts to suggest there is an unmet demand among women for late-term abortions.  Any "evidence" is anecdotal at best.

Democrats and their accomplices in the news media appear to be guilty of overreach on this issue.  They may be surprised by the blowback from voters outside liberal states such as New York.  Virginia is a case in point.  But don't expect that prospect to alter their political skulduggery.