WASHINGTON – Today, the National Right to Life
Committee, the federation of 50 state right-to-life
affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters,
called on the Virginia State Senate to stand up for
women and their unborn children by quickly bringing
SB 484, as amended by the House of Delegates
yesterday, to the floor for a final vote. SB 484
ensures that women in the Commonwealth are given the
full range of information necessary before
undergoing an abortion procedure.
“The commotion and misinformation over this
protective law has been an outrageous disservice to
the women of Virginia. Opposing this bill protects
the abortion industry’s financial interest at the
cost of women’s well-being,” said Mary Spaulding
Balch, J.D., director of state legislation for the
National Right to Life Committee.
“We commend Governor Bob McDonnell for his
steadfast leadership and commitment to protecting
the women and the children of Virginia. We thank the
Virginia House of Delegates for acting quickly to
return the ultrasound bill to the Senate for final
passage,” said Balch.
SB 484 allows mothers an opportunity to view their
unborn child on an ultrasound, and then provides an
appropriate waiting period before rushing her
through an abortion. Originally passed by the
Virginia State Senate on February 1, the bill passed
by the Virginia House of Delegates contains an
amendment, urged by Governor McDonnell, which would
clarify that only a trans-abdominal ultrasound is
necessary to meet the requirements of the bill.
According to reports from the National Abortion
Federation, ultrasounds are already in common usage
by abortionists to determine the gestational age of
the unborn child. However, the screen is hidden from
the mother’s view.
“The more women are informed, the more empowered
they are to keep their children. It’s tragic that a
healthcare provider can’t be trusted to provide this
basic medical information to their patients, but
because a life-affirming choice takes business away
from the abortionist, they will often hide all the
facts of abortion and the child’s development from
mothers,” added Balch.
“We applaud the tireless work of the Virginia
Society for Human Life for making this legislation a
top priority, and we join with them in encouraging
the Virginia Senate to take a stand for mothers by
prompt passage of SB 484,” said Balch.
Founded in 1968, the National
Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50
state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000
local chapters, is the nation's oldest and largest
grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the
flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works
through legislation and education to protect
innocent human life from abortion, infanticide,
assisted suicide and euthanasia.
