WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted against legislation that would have made it criminal to provide an abortion for a woman who is over 20 weeks pregnant, without any exceptions for women whose life is endangered by the pregnancy.
"Regrettably, Mr. President, the bill before us provides no exception for when the physical health of the mother is at risk of serious harm," she says.
Collins told the Senate she opposes late-term abortions, but not without exceptions for the mother's health. She also opposed the provision making it a federal crime for a doctor to perform an abortion after 20 weeks regardless of the doctor's belief it was medically necessary.
"I share their goal of prohibiting late-term abortions," she says. "My point, however, is that all of these language problems could have been solved."
