Nine Democrat Massachusetts state representatives stood up to 123 of their party colleagues by voting against a bill legalizing abortion up until the moment of birth. Now that Democrat Governor Maura Healy has signed the bill into law, some of them are beginning to speak out publicly.
Even though the bill was fated to pass due to the overwhelming Democrat supermajority in the state’s House, the nine Democrats, at least one of whom is pro-abortion, voted against removing Massachusetts restrictions on abortions after 24 weeks. On Monday, August 10, Gov. Healy signed the bill into law.
In interviews with Fox News Digital published Friday, four of the nine Democrats who voted against their party’s Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act (H. 5595) went on record to denounce the new law.
"The new law is barbaric," Democrat State Rep. Jeffrey Turco said:
"This new law represents an extremist and dangerous position.
"To be clear, it allows abortion anytime, unrestricted, and in many cases, publicly funded until the moment of birth."
“This bill creates a very slippery slope," Democrat State Rep. Chris Markey, who says abortion should be up to the woman and her doctor, warned:
"I believe this law puts doctors in a very difficult ethical dilemma, as well as conflicts with long-standing criminal case law. This law, I believe, is not consistent with the beliefs of the vast majority of my constituents.
“While many are pro-choice, you can still be pro-choice and see this law as going beyond the norms of acceptability."
Democrat State Rep. Alan Silvia criticized lawmakers who are more determined to pass laws protecting animal life than they are to protect human life:
"We go to extraordinary lengths as a society to protect vulnerable life, saving whales and saving strays, yet when it comes to an unborn child, that same sense of protection too often seems to disappear."
“I will continue to stand by my convictions and vote accordingly," the pro-life Democrat vowed.
The law allowing abortion beyond the previous 24-week limit creates a troubling precedent, pro-abortion Democrat State Rep. Dennis Gallagher told Fox News:
“[I]f the health of the mother is fine and the baby's health is fine (after 24 weeks), I just think alternatives should be encouraged for that baby.
“So that's what I struggled with. But it should always be between a woman and their doctor."
The concern that the majority of Massachusetts voters oppose abortion until birth was exacerbated because the bill was rushed through the state’s House and Senate so that there was no time allowed for voters to provide public comment on it.
