FACT vs. FICTION: “Care for Women, Children, and Families Act”
Mainstream, pro-life legislation prompts Democrats to resort to falsities
Raleigh, N.C. — Passage of the “Care for Women, Children, and Families Act” has brought to question the veracity of several recent comments made by Gov. Roy Cooper, legislative Democrats, and even the Biden administration. To help clear confusion on the mainstream abortion compromise, listed below are some of the false claims being made about Senate Bill 20, along with the facts.
FICTION: “Republican elected officials in North Carolina have passed an extreme abortion ban.” — Vice President Kamala Harris
FACT: There is nothing extreme about limiting second and third trimester abortions. Nationwide polling shows only 36% of Americans think abortion should be legal in the second trimester, and only 20% think it should be legal in the third trimester. Legislative Democrats took an extreme position when they signed onto legislation that would allow abortion for any reason well into the second trimester. A March 2023 poll found that 57% of North Carolinians support a proposal to limit abortions in the second and third trimesters with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother.
FICTION: Senate Bill 20 is “really a ban that is throughout the first trimester for a woman.” — Gov. Roy Cooper
FACT: Nothing in this bill bars a woman from obtaining an elective surgical or medical abortion before the second and third trimester limits take effect.
FICTION: “All of [North Carolina’s abortion clinics] would have to close their doors under this bill.” — Gov. Roy Cooper
FACT: The bill requires clinics that offer surgical abortions to have the same healthcare standards as ambulatory surgical centers. This is for the patient’s safety. Last month, a patient was transported to a Chapel Hill hospital after suffering serious complications at a Planned Parenthood facility. Clinics that choose to offer only medical abortions won’t have to meet the surgical facility standards, but they will have to follow existing state law on administering abortion-inducing drugs in person and disclose the risks associated with medical abortions in person.
FICTION: Senate Bill 20 would ban medical abortion after 10 weeks. — Gov. Roy Cooper’s Office
FACT: Bill language clearly states that surgical and medical abortions are legal through the first 12 weeks. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved the drugs used for medical abortions if the gestational age is no more than 10 weeks. Senate Bill 20 requires doctors to verify the gestational age of a baby for medical abortions, but it does not prohibit physicians from prescribing abortion-inducing drugs off-label, as long as it is during the first 12 weeks of a woman’s pregnancy.
FICTION: Senate Bill 20 requires three in-person appointments days apart for anyone seeking a medical abortion. — Gov. Roy Cooper’s Office
FACT: Two in-person appointments are required for those seeking a medical abortion — one to get informed consent and one to administer the first dose of an abortion-inducing drug. The woman can take the second dose of a two-dose abortion-inducing drug regimen at home. A qualified physician is required to schedule an in-person follow-up visit, but the patient is not required to show up. The FDA recommends a follow-up appointment. This is a commonsense patient safety measure to ensure that a woman can receive the necessary follow-up care if she’s experiencing complications. A woman would not be penalized if she does not show up to the follow-up appointment.
FICTION: Senate Bill 20 requires women and doctors to make public personally identifying information of women who get abortions.
FACT: The reporting requirements in Senate Bill 20 are based on current law and for statistical purposes only. The bill requires that the confidentiality of the woman be protected and prohibits reports sent to NCDHHS from containing any information that would make it possible to identify the woman. No personally identifiable information about a woman or a physician would be made publicly available.
FICTION: Senate Bill 20 prevents the use of abortion-inducing drugs for patients who need them for non-abortion-related treatment.
FACT: The bill’s definition of abortion-inducing drugs does not apply to drugs that may be known to cause an abortion but are prescribed for other medical uses.
FICTION: The rules for abortion in Senate Bill 20 would also apply to miscarriage care.
FACT: A woman that needs to treat a miscarriage would not be required to undergo the same procedure as a woman seeking an abortion. Treating a miscarriage and performing an abortion are separate medical procedures.
