Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, issued the following statement urging the Liberian Senate to again reject the proposed Public Health bill, which would legalize abortion on demand and dismantle long-standing protections for unborn children and their mothers:
“For decades, Liberia has stood firm for the protection of human life; however, the proposed so-called Public Health bill would abandon that moral leadership and open the door to the destruction of innocent children up to 18 weeks of pregnancy. This bill is not about health—it is about eliminating the most vulnerable and defenseless among us.
“Abortion is not health care. It is not compassion. It is the deliberate taking of an innocent human life. Every unborn child is a person of infinite dignity and worth, and every mother deserves real medical care and support—not the false promise that abortion is a ‘solution.’
“Wherever abortion has been legalized, women suffer. The abortion industry tells women that abortion services—especially the abortion pill, mifepristone—are completely safe; however, the reality is that abortion is extremely dangerous to women.
“A recent study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) found that nearly 11% of women—more than one in ten—who take mifepristone experience serious, adverse events within 45 days, including sepsis, hemorrhaging, and/or infection.
“In addition to the abortion pill, surgical abortion procedures—often performed during the second- and third-trimesters—present serious and life-threatening complications, including blood clots. Recently, an 18-year-old tragically passed away after experiencing blood clotting complications from a second-trimester surgical abortion procedure performed at a Planned Parenthood clinic in the state of Colorado.
“Bottom line: this legislation before the Liberian Senate will put Liberian women at grave risk, stripping away essential safeguards. True maternal healthcare means providing quality prenatal care, skilled birth attendants, emergency and life-affirming obstetric and neonatal services, and support for mothers and their families —not expanding abortion.
“Despite international pressure from foreign-funded activists, Western governments, and NGOS, Liberia must continue to be strong and steadfastly defend Liberian children and their mothers. You must resist these attempts to impose abortion under the guise of ‘healthcare’ or ‘reproductive rights.’ Liberia should not be coerced into abandoning its cultural, moral, and religious commitment to protecting life.
“I appeal to the conscience of every Liberian Senator: reject the so-called Public Health bill, defend the unborn, protect mothers, support families, and uphold the sanctity of human life. The world is watching. Liberia must continue to be a beacon of hope, compassion, and respect for human dignity.”
