Jerry Falwell Jr., Liberty Council release statements on Virginia's abortion bill

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Virginia bill that looked to remove certain requirements in place before an abortion could be performed is being heavily talked about.

HB 2491, has been tabled by the Virginia House of Delegates this legislative session, but that hasn't lessened the discussion and controversy surrounding it.

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. released this statement Thursday:

"Governor Ralph Northam’s comments regarding infanticide on Wednesday are reprehensible. He has shown once again that he is not a Governor for all Virginians—not the pro-life and not the unborn. Such extremism has no place in Virginia or America, where each individual has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness endowed by our Creator.

I have two granddaughters: one 11 months old and the other is due to be born any day now. The thought of legalizing the murder of either one of them is repulsive and barbaric."

The Liberty Council also released a statement regarding this bill:

"Democratic Governor Ralph Northam and Democratic Virginia Delegate Kathy Tran are advocating to loosen the requirements of late-term abortion in Virginia, which even includes killing of the child during or after delivery.

The Repeal Act, introduced as HB2491 by Tran, would repeal restrictions on third trimester abortions all the way up to 40 weeks. This bill would allow abortionists to self-certify the necessity of the procedures, eliminate informed consent requirements, repeal health and safety standards for abortion clinics, and allow late-term abortions to be performed in outpatient clinics. The Repeal Act removes hospital requirements on clinics and providers, laws that mandate informed consent, a combination of mandatory ultrasounds, “biased literature,” the 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Virginia, and additional doctor requirements for late-term abortions.

In fact, if a woman is dilating and about to give birth, she could still request an abortion.

Governor Northam defended these efforts to loosen abortion restrictions in Virginia. Northam said, “If a mother is in labor...the infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians & mother.”

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Caller, President Donald Trump supported the sanctity of human life when he harshly criticized Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Democratic Virginia Delegate Kathy Tran’s advocacy to loosen requirements of late-term abortion.

President Trump said, “Do you remember when I said Hillary Clinton was willing to rip the baby out of the womb? That's what it is, that’s what they’re doing, it's terrible…This is going to lift up the whole pro-life movement like maybe it's never been lifted up before...I think this will very much lift up the issue because people have never thought of it in those terms.”
 
Today, U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) is re-introducing live on the Senate floor S.130, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, in response to the horrible acts of New York and Virginia.
 
“I condemn the heartless acts of the New York and Virginia politicians,” said Liberty Counsel’s Founder and Chairman Mat Staver. “The same legislator in Virginia that introduced a law allowing babies to be killed during birth and after birth introduced a law to protect caterpillars. These acts and recent statements are not fitting under any circumstances. This evil must be stopped,” said Staver.

The Liberty Counsel describes itself as a  Christian ministry that proclaims, advocates, supports, advances, and defends the good news that God in the person of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins and offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who accept him as Lord and Savior. Every ministry and project of Liberty Counsel centers around and is based upon this good news, which is also referred to as the gospel. 

The bill has been tabled by the Virginia House of Delegates this legislative session.