RISKS THAT EXIST WITH ANY SURGICAL MID-TRIMESTER TERMINATION OF
           PREGNANCY. HOWEVER, THIS PROCEDURE OF PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION,
           REMBER THE PROCEDURE ITSELF INVOLVES MANIPULATION OF THE FETUS
           INSIDE OF THE UTERUS, TURNING THE FETUS AROUND, EXTRACTING THE
           FETUS FROM THE UTERUS, AND THEN PLUNGING SCISSORS INTO THE
           CRANIUM OR BASE OF THE SKULL, IT REQUIRES SPREADING THE

           SCISSORS TO MAKE THE OPENING LARGE ENOUGH TO EVACUATE THE
           BRAIN. THAT HAS TWO ADDITIONAL COMPLICATIONS THAN WHAT WOULD BE
           A MID-TRIMESTER ABORTION AND THAT IS UTERINE RUPTURE, NUMBER
           ONE, AND NUMBER TWO, LACERATION, ATROGENIC LACERATION, BUT
           MEANS CUTTING OF THE ROUTE RUSS WITH SECONDARY BLEEDING.
           UTERINE RUPTURE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
           UTERINE RUPTURE MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. THE UTERUS
           RUPTURES AND THAT CAN BE CATASTROPHIC TO THE WOMAN. IT MAY BE

           INCREASED DURING A PARTIAL-BIRTH BORS BECAUSE THE PHYSICIAN IN
           THIS PROCEDURE MUST PERFORM A GREAT DEAL OF IT BLINDLY,
           REACHING INTO THE UTERUS WITH A BLUNT INSTRUMENT AND PULLING
           THE FEET OF THE FETUS DOWN INTO THE CANAL. THUS YOU HAVE
           UTERINE RUN KHUFER. I SHOULD ADD THAT THIS TYPE OF TYPE OF
           MANIPULATION IS ALSO ASSOCIATED, WE DO KNOW THIS FROM MEDICAL
           LITERATURE BECAUSE THERE ARE A FEW CASES WHERE YOU DO HAVE TO
           MANIPULATE THE FETUS, THAT MANIPULATION IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH

           OTHER COMPLICATIONS OF A BRUPGS, OHM THAT PARTICULAR FLUID EMBO
           LUST, WHERE IT EMBLIZES AND GOES TO OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY,
           AND OTHER TRAUMA TO THE UTERUS. ALL OF THESE ARE SERIOUS
           POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING COMPLICATIONS FROM THIS FRINGE
           PROCEDURE THAT HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED THAT IS OUTSIDE THE
           MAINSTREAM OF AMERICA THAT IS NOT IN MEDICAL TEXTBOOKS THAT IS
           A NOT IN THE PEER REVIEWED LITERATURE FOR WHICH WE HAVE
           ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES AVAILABLE. THE SECOND COMPLICATION,

           YATRAGENIC LACERATION, BASICALLY A ACCIDENTAL CUTTING OF THE
           UTERUS. IT OCCURS BECAUSE AGAIN MUCH OF THIS PROCEDURE IS DONE
           BLINDLY. THE SURGEON HAS SCISSORS INSERTED INTO THE BASE OF THE
           FETAL SKULL, NOT JUST AN INSERTION OF THE SCISSORS BECAUSE
           TAKES A SPREADING OF THE SCISSORS TO ESTABLISH A REAL PUNCTURE
           THERE LARGE ENOUGH TO EVACUATE THE BRAIN. AS NOTED IN JAMA
           ARTICLE, AUGUST 26, 1998, ANOTHER QUOTATION, LET ME OPEN

           QUOTATION MARKS, "THIS BLIND PROCEDURE RISKS MATERNAL INJURY
           FROM LACERATION OF THE UTERUS OR CERVIX BY THE SCISSORS AND
           COULD RESULT IN SEVERE BLEEDING AND THE THREAT OF SHOCK OR EVEN
           MATERNAL DEATH." COULD RESULT IN SEVERE BLEEDING AND THE THREAT
           OF SHOCK OR EVEN MATERNAL DEATH. THE RISK. THESE RISKS WHICH I
           JUST OUTLINED HAVE NOT BEEN QUANTIFIED FOR PARTIAL-BIRTH

           ABORTION. WOULD YOU WANT THIS UNTESTED PROCEDURE PERFORMED ON
           ANYONE THAT YOU KNOW?
           THE ANSWER I BELIEVE, ABSOLUTELY NOT. BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS
           AN ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE AVAILABLE. SO MR. PRESIDENT, WE ARE
           DISCUSSING A FRINGE PROCEDURE. VERY REAL RISK TO A WOMAN'S
           HEALTH. THE LACK OF DATA ON THIS PROCEDURE UNDERSCORES MY
           OPPOSITION TO IT. JUST AS WE CANNOT IGNORE THE RISK TO THE
           MOTHER, LET'S ALSO LOOK AT THE RISK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN

           THE LINE AND IT LEADS ME TO TO A CONCLUSION THAT PARTIAL-BIRTH
           ABORTION IS INHUMANE -- INHUMANE AND DOES OFFEND THE BASIC
           CIVIL SENSIBILITIES. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THE PROCEDURE ITSELF,
           YES, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF THE -- I WILL SAY PARI
           VIABLE FETUS. I SAY THAT BECAUSE AT WHAT POINT IN THIS
           GESTATION PERIOD VIABILITY ACTUALLY IS REALIZED IS SUBJECT TO

           DEBATE. IT SHIFTS WITH TECHNOLOGY, WITH OUR ABILITY TO
           INTERVENE OVER TIME. MOST OF THESE PROCEDURES ARE PERFORMED
           TODAY IN WHAT ARE CALLED -- WHAT IS CALLED THE PARI VIABLE
           PERIOD, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 20 WEEKS AND 24 WEEKS OF GESTATION
           AND BEYOND. THE CENTERS NECESSARY FOR PAIN PERCEPTION IN A
           FETUS DEVELOP VERY EARLY IN THAT SECOND TRIMESTER PERIOD.
           AGAIN, THROUGH THIS PERIOD OBVIOUSLY WHERE THIS PARTIAL-BIRTH

           ABORTION IS PERFORMED. WE CANNOT MEASURE -- IT IS INTERESTING,
           WE CANNOT MEASURE FETAL PAIN DIRECTLY -- BUT WE DO KNOW THAT
           INFANTS OF SIMILAR GESTATIONAL AGE, AFTER DELIVERY -- 28 WEEKS
           OR 30 WEEKS OR 24 WEEKS -- THOSE BABIES, THOSE FETUSES THAT ARE
           DELIVERED DO RESPOND TO PAIN. AND AGAIN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A
           PROCEDURE PERFORMED ON AN INFANT, A FETUS AT 2OR WEEKS. WITH

           PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTIONS, PAIN MANAGEMENT IS NOT PROVIDED FOR
           THAT FETUS AT THAT GESTATIONAL AGE. THAT FETUS, REMEMBER IS
           LITERALLY WITHIN INCHES OF BEING ACTUALLY DELIVERED. SO PAIN
           MANAGEMENT IS GIVEN FOR PROCEDURES IF THOSE FEW TWO OR THREE
           INCHES ARE REALIZED AND THAT BAY SI IS OUTSIDE OF THE WOMB, AT
           THE SAME GESTATIONAL AGE IT IF THAT FETUS IS IN THE WOMB, PAIN
           MANAGE. IS NOT GIVEN. I SAY THAT AND AGAIN BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO
           AT LEAST THINK OF THE FETUS AND THINK OF THE PROCEDURE OF THE

           TAKING OF THE SCISSORS AND INSERTING THEM INTO THE CRANIUM,
           INTO THE SKULL, AND THE SPREADING OF THOSE SCISSORS, THAT AGE,
           WHAT IS IS THAT DOING, IS THAT HUMANE?
           AND THEREFORE TO MY STATEMENT THAT THIS IS A BARBARIC
           PROCEDURE, I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS AN INHUMANE BARBARIC
           PROCEDURE. LOOKING AT THE WOMAN -- I JUST WON'T THROUGH THE
           COMPLICATIONS -- AND LOOKING AT THE FOCUS. MR. PRESIDENT,
           BECAUSE OF THE FRINGE NATURE OF THIS ACTICE, BECAUSE OF THE

           LACK OF PEER REVIEWED STUDY OF THE PROCEDURE, AND I WILL CLOSE,
           OBVIOUSLY I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND I HAVE TAKEN
           PROBABLY TOO MUCH TIME WALKING THROUGH THE MEDICAL ASPECTS, BUT
           I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO SORT OF FREE OF A LOT OF THE
           INTENSITY OF THE DEBATE EARLIER IN THE DAY, I THINK IT IS
           IMPORTANT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WHERE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WHERE
           MY COLLEAGUES KNOW AT LEAST WHAT ONE SURGEON VIEWS OF THIS
           SURGICAL PROCEDURE. I WILL CLOSE BY SIMPLY SAYING THAT BECAUSE

           OF THIS LACK OF PEER REVIEWED STUDY OF THIS PROCEDURE, BECAUSE
           OF THE FRINGE NATURE OF THIS PROCEDURE, BECAUSE OF THE GRAVE
           RISK IT POSES TO THE WOMAN, AND BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS
           INHUMANE TREATMENT OF THAT INFANT, THAT FETUS, AND BECAUSE EVEN
           AS ACOG, THE GYNECOLOGIC SOCIETY CONCEDE, PARTIAL-BIRTH

           ABORTION IS NEVER, NEVER THE ONLY PROCEDURE THAT HAS TO BE
           USED. I STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION BY THE SENATOR OF
           PENNSYLVANIA TO OUTLAW THIS BARBARIC AND THIS INHUMANE

           PRACTICE. MR. PRESIDENT, I YIELD THE FLOOR. MR. SANTORUM: MR.
           PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
           

           MR. SANTORUM: MR. PRESIDENT, THE HOUR IS LATE AND I'M NOT GOING
           TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME. I APPRECIATE THE INDULGENCE OF THE
           SENATOR FROM KANSAS FOR HIS MARATHON STAY ON THE FLOOR AND IN
           THE CHAIR TONIGHT. FIRST LET ME THANK THE SENATOR FROM

           TENNESSEE FOR HIS EXPERT TESTIMONY. WE HEAR A LOT FROM THOSE
           WHO OPPOSE THIS PROCEDURE ABOUT HOW THERE IS NO OBSTETRICIAN
           OVER HERE, BUT I THINK SOMEONE WITH THE SURGICAL SKILLS AND
           INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION OF DR. FRIST AND COMBINE THAT WITH THE
           OBSTETRICIANS THAT IN FACT ARE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ON THE OTHER
           SIDE OF THIS BODY WHO OPPOSE THIS PROCEDURE, WHO SUPPORT THIS
           BILL, I THINK WE HAVE THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY OF THE CONGRESS
           CLEARLY ON OUR SIDE. AND I THINK AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE, WE

           HAVE THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY GENERALLY ON OUR SIDE. HUNDREDS AND
           HUNDREDS OF OBSTETRICIANS WHO HAVE COME FORWARD AND TALKED
           ABOUT IT. BUT I DO WANT TO TALK TONIGHT ABOUT A FEW CASES, AND
           I DO THAT FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. I DO THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO
           ARTICULATE AGAIN THAT THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE.

           THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE TO A PARTIAL-BIRTH
           ABORTION. YOU HEARD DR. FRIST TALK ABOUT OTHER ABORTION
           TECHNIQUES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, AND THERE ARE OTHER PEER
           REVIEWED IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE TECHNIQUES AVAILABLE IF
           LATER IN PREGNANCY A MOTHER DECIDES TO HAVE AN ABORTION. WHAT I
           WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS
           IMPORTANT AND THIS REALLY TRANSCENDS THE PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION

           DEBATE, BUT I THINK IT IS RELEVANT TO TALK ABOUT; THAT THERE
           ARE OTHER WAYS TO DEAL WITH THIS THAT ARE AS HEALTHY AND I
           WOULD ARGUE EVEN MORE HEALTHY THAN -- FOR THE MOTHER INVOLVED.
           WE HEARD ABOUT WHEN THE SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS, SENATOR DURBIN
           TODAY, ABOUT VICKI WILSON AND CORINNE COULD STE LOW, AND VICKI
           STELLA, AND I ENTER INTO THE RECORD THOSE THREE CASES WHERE ALL
           THESE WOMEN CAME TO THE CONGRESS AND USED -- THEY TESTIFIED

           THEMSELVES, THEY BROUGHT INTO OWN STORIES FORWARD, AND ARE NOW
           BEING USED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AGAIN AND HAVE BEEN USED FOR
           SEVERAL YEARS NOW, TO SUPPORT THE CLAIM THAT THIS WAS THE ONLY
           METHOD AVAILABLE FOR THEM, AND THIS SAVED THEIR HEALTH AND
           THEIR FUTURE FERTILITY. AND I WILL TAKE THEM ONE BY ONE VERY
           QUICKLY BECAUSE I WANT TO REEMPHASIZE THAT THIS WAS NOT THE
           ONLY OPTION AVAILABLE. IN FACT THERE WERE MORE HEALTHY

           PROCEDURES. THAT DOES NOT MEAN IF YOU DO A CERTAIN PROCEDURE
           THE DR. WOULD AFFIRM THIS. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE PROCEDURE
           THAT CAN BE USED AND IT MAY, EVEN IF IT IS NOT THE PROPER ONE,
           TURN OUT TO BE -- TURN OUT OKAY. TURN OUT WITH A GOOD RESULT.
           BUT THE POINT I AM TRYING TO MAKE IS AND I THINK THE POINT THE
           MEDICAL COMMUNITY IS TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT IT IS NOT IN FACT
           THE BEST MEDICINE. THAT IT IS NOT PROPER AND IT CERTAINLY ISN'T

           THE ONLY PROCEDURE AVAILABLE. IN THE CASE OF VICKI WILSON,
           ACCORDING TO HER OWN TESTIMONY, SHE DIDN'T HAVE A PARTIAL-BIRTH
           ABORTION. SHE SAYS IN HER TESTIMONY THAT THE DEATH OF HER
           DAUGHTER ABIGAIL WAS INSIDE THE WOMB. "MY DAUGHTER DIED WITH
           DIGNITY INSIDE MY WOMB" AFTER WHICH THE BABY WAS DELIVERED HEAD
           FIRST. NOW, A PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION AS YOU HEARD DR. FRIST

           JUST DESCRIBE IS WHAT THE BABY IS DELIVERED IN A BREACH
           POSITION, ALIVE. THAT ALL OF THE BABY IS TAKEN OUT OF THE
           MOTHER EXCEPT FOR THE HEAD. AND THEN A SHARE INSTRUMENT IS
           INSERTED IN THE BASE OF THE SKULL, THE BABY IS KILLED AND THE
           BRAINS ARE SUCTIONED OUT. THAT IS THOUGHT WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
           YET, WE KNOW THAT FROM HER TESTIMONY AND HAVE KNOWN THAT FOR
           SEVERAL YEARS NOW, SINCE 1995, YET, YEAR OF YEAR AFTER YEAR AS
           WE DEBATE THIS BILL, PEOPLE COME TO THE FLOOR AND HOLD UP THIS

           CASE AND SAY WELL HERE IS SOMEONE THAT WAS SAVED FROM HEALTH
           CONSEQUENCES BY PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. IT
           DIDN'T HAPPEN. TAKE THE CASES WHERE IT DID HAPPEN. I HAVE TWO
           LETTERS HERE, ONE FROM A DR. PAMELA SMITH WHO IS AT MOUNT SINAI
           HOSPITAL IN CHICAGO, ANOTHER FROM DR. JOSEPH DID HE COOK, WHO
           IS -- DE COOK AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. DISCUSSING TWO

           DIFFERENT CASES. FIRST THE VICKI STELLA CASE, SECOND THE
           CORRINE COSTELLO AGAIN, IT IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME TO
           STAND HERE AND TALK ABOUT THESE VERY PERSONAL AND VERY TRAGIC
           CASES. I AM SURE IT IS VERY PAINFUL FOR THOSE INVOLVED TO HEAR
           THEIR CASE BEING BROUGHT UP BY SOMEONE THAT THEY DISAGREE WITH.
           AND I AM SURE THEY DISAGREE WITH IN A VERY VOCIFEROUS WAY. BUT
           IF THEY ARE GOING TO BRING THEIR CASE TO SUPPORT A CONCLUSION

           THAT THIS PROCEDURE IS MEDICALLY NECESSARY, THEN THEIR STORY,
           THEIR RECORDS, HAVE TO BE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE WHETHER IN FACT
           IT DOES SUPPORT THIS MEDICAL DETERMINATION THAT HAS BEEN
           ARRIVED BY SOME THAT THIS IS A MEDICALLY NECESSARY PROCEDURE.
           IN THE CASE OF MISS STE LA SHE PROCLAIMS THAT THIS IS THE ONLY
           THING THAT COULD BE DONE TO PRESERVE HER FERTILITY. THIS IS
           WHAT DR. PAMELA SMITH WRITES. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE

           STANDARD CARE OF THAT -- THAT IS USED BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL
{END: 1999/10/20 TIME: 21-30 , Wed.  106TH SENATE, FIRST SESSION}