Watch: Governor Rick Perry supports Preborn Pain Bill

At a press conference hosted by Texas Right to Life on Tuesday, Governor Rick Perry urged Texas legislators to support Texas Right to Life's flagship bill for the 2013 Texas legislative session, the Preborn Pain Bill. The Preborn Pain Bill will protect babies in the womb who can feel pain from the torture of abortion by prohibiting abortions from being committed at 20 weeks gestation and later.

 
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
 
Governor Perry:  The ideal world is a world without abortion. Until then, we're going to pass laws to ensure that abortion is as rare as possible under existing law…
 
This session, I'm calling on the legislature to strengthen our ban on that procedure, prohibiting abortion at the point a baby can feel the pain of being killed. We have an obligation to end that type of cruelty. 
 
And I'll be clear: my goal, and the goal of many of those joining me here today, is to make abortion, at any stage, a thing of the past. 
 
While Roe v. Wade prevents us from taking that step, it does allow us — the states — to do some things to protect Life if we can show there is a compelling state interest. Now, I don't think that there is any issue that better fits the definition of “compelling state interest” than preventing the suffering of our state's unborn. We cannot, and will not, idly stand by while our unborn are being put through the agony of having their lives ended.
 
Elizabeth Graham:  Texas Right to Life is so honored that Governor Perry would highlight Texas Right to Life's flagship bill for the 2013 legislative session…
 
We're very excited that pre-born children who can feel pain will be spared from this barbaric and gruesome procedure next session in 2013. Please show your support to your elected officials to pass this bill, and join us next spring when Governor Perry signs the bill after it passes.