The Honorable Mike DeWine

June 23, 2005

HEARING STATEMENT
JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION,
CIVIL RIGHTS AND PROPERTY RIGHTS
CONSEQUENCES OF ROE v. WADE AND DOE v. BOLTON
U.S. SENATOR MIKE DEWINE
JUNE 23, 2005

Mr. Chairman, thank you for taking the time to schedule this hearing on such a very important issue and for allowing me to join the Subcommittee this afternoon.

Thank you, as well, to the witnesses who have taken the time to speak from the heart and offer us their perspectives on the issue of abortion. Your testimony confirms that abortion has many victims, not just the unborn.

I especially want to thank the two remarkable women on today's first panel: Norma McCorvey and Sandra Cano. Thank you for sharing your personal stories. Thank you for your courage to stand up for what you believe is right. And, thank you for your fight to protect the rights of the unborn.

I have reviewed your written testimony, and it has touched me deeply. We do not share the same personal experiences. But, we share the same values. We share a commitment to ensuring that all persons -- all lives -- are respected and protected under our laws.

This hearing today is about the consequences of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Obviously, those cases have had a dramatic effect on our laws, our nation, and our culture. What strikes me most, however, is that those cases seem to have victimized the very people that they were intended to benefit.

During this hearing, we will hear about the effect that these cases have had on Norma McCorvey and Sandra Cano and about the severe psychological and emotional consequences that abortion has on the women who have them. We will learn that 100,000 women a year enter abortion recovery counseling programs.
On our second panel, we will hear from Professor Teresa Collett about the adverse social and medical impact that abortion has on women.

These are serious consequences. They are not legal consequences. They are not theoretical ones. They are not even political ones. They are real consequences. And, it is our job in the U.S. Senate to do something about them.

We need to provide women facing unwanted pregnancies with information about their baby. We need to point these women toward alternatives to abortion. And, for women who want to keep their children, but feel unable to do so, we need to tell them that counseling and services are available to give them a helping hand during their time of need.

Ultimately, we need to provide these women with the information, assistance, and resources they need to make the right choice. Whatever the consequences of Roe and Doe, we have a duty to ensure that abortion is not one of them.