Ford, Betty - Abortion” of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R
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The original documents are located in Box 36, folder “Ford, Betty - Abortion” of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Some items in this folder were not digitized because it contains copyrighted materials. Please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library for access to these materials. • Digitized from Box 36 of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library . .- . TO: Mrs. ~ Ford FOOM ~ Sheila -- JULY 1 SUPREME COURT DECISION ON· ABORTION ··. 1 1. The Court ruled that a State may define •viability'" as -~ "the--stage of feta1 development when the life of the unborn-child may be continued indefinitely outside the "WOmbby natural. or artiCicial life-supportive s:Ystems.• But the Court ruled. the actual. time of vi.ability should he the.jud9JDen,t 0£ the attendinq physician and should~ he fixed by State l.aw. ,, 2. States may require a woman's written consent before the abortion to say her consent is "in£ormed and freely given ' I and is not the result of coercion." 3. The State may~ constitutional.ly re.qui.re the consent of the husband as .a condition of abortion during the fir.st 12 weeks- of the pregnancy. ('rhis is the period during which the State cannot regulate or prevent an abortion. and the decision is solely between the woman and her doctor.) The Court said that if the State cannot intervene. then neither. can- th& husband.. COurt said that althOugb it reccignized the importance . Th~ . - of ~e martial re1ationship and the possible impact of an abortion upon a marriage, the State still did not have the constitutional. authority to give the-husband the ability to stop the wife from having an abortion. The Court also said the State may not require the consent or a parent or a person act.inq as parent as a condition of an abortion for an unmarried minor durillg the first 12 weeks ,.. o:f-her pregnan(:y~.: The legal logic· was the same as for a . husband.: the State cannot grant to a third party an arbitrary ' veto of- an abortion during the first 12 weeks. when it lacks ' . thatauthority itself. ;r ~..... .i "· • Page 2 But it le£t open this door: "we emphasize our holding does -not sugge~t every minor, regardless of age or maturity may give effective consent for termination of her pregnancy. 11 5. The court ruled the State cannot bar the use of saline amniocentesis as a ·method_of abortion a£tea the first 12 weeks. Testimony -showed this method to be more safe for ,.~ mother than even continuation of the pre9nancy until:: normal. childbirth. "· 6. The Court said States-may require records for·· health facilities a.~ physicians concerned with abortions. All · such in~o:rmation shall be confidential and used for statistical purposes.~ ..- 7. The ~ Court . rules States may not require doctors per£orminq abortions to try as ha.rd to save a fetus durinq an abortion as weald. be required to preserve the life of a fetus intended to be born alive. SUMMARY OP MASSACHUSETTS CAS~ l. The State cannot control an abortion of a minor durinq the first twelve weeks of a pregnancy any more than it can con . ,. .: trol. that of an adul.t. The rights of a minor outweigh the competing rights of the minor's parents and must be pro tected-. ·' # # .. .,, , r ---·-·J _... """'.......,&£•~'-''""4 l ucW1~ :.«.:ranton has drawn up of NATO armecfforces. · =1 • ~umm1si.rauon, out mere JS lead when he suggested one dn the cabinet and other high- · Mr• . Ford named. George . Traditionally, American every 1 indication. that-Senate of several places for George level positions. · · _ ~ · Bush as the new tlead of th~ ambassadors to London have jlepu!~~ns would join · j.n Bush. I said George Bush ~- ·, u. S. ~ission in Pe~. end.- , · •: been~x~~a:.e... .confi,B~ r~:1ltfi~e»:s-,,W~h9gton-(f~P) - Presi~, inugbl~~~:~lte~i:r~-.· . H E 'J,, ~· .,, - ;,.n ~~ppolnted ant~sador .. to , Wh1te ouse xp aTns . ·, . , ~ ;;anee was . Kenneth ' RuSh < \J I . / _. who served a:s ... Mr. Nfxo(l~s ::, '. 0 M.f .s.· ·,.• fol.. d' S A_. borfion. Vi. e.w,~ =~~~c~;~l!.:~ ~.r·~~I -~ . ~ · - - show he i.s. in. command of fQt•,!i ~ - .• "" . , ~I ·~. .~. eign:policy. by these appo~ ·:;·"~ ! Washington ~'":"' cuPn-'?4t"s· ence.~ Mrs. 'Ford also·said ahe They can play .a great·role." Preside~~,, 't"C ..... r. ments;" a- State Departm~~ ~· I • ljet1:y Ford believes . ~ · ther -.would cainpalgn for passage Asked whether .her son With emotion, she added, "I source ·said.· ·''These are n~ 1 Amend- apeutic ·abortion in .cases of -of .. 1fle · Equal ·rugJits· Jack, 22, was right when he don't exp~ct to live up to hi s. peop1 e. " . ' •.~.... ~ , .\ ra;ie and .tnteSt, . but opposes ment. for·women. told a news conference that those wM came before me. The evident exception ·was · · abortit>n on'demand, her chief . She refused to commit ~r· slie was ''disturbed" over They've all done a great job. the decision to name former spokesrpan, Helen McCain self on whether she would like news that Mr. Ford would I hope I can cpme ,close to Kentucky GOP .Sen. Jobi} f Smith, said today. .her husband to run for a full "probably" run for the presi it." Sherman Cooper, as the first· , terin in 1976. ' WJieri ·asked if dency, .she responded, "I w~s Mirs. Ford was asked a~ Mrs. Ford said she would American amba"ssador to~ : ,. "she would campaign then, she very surprised at my son's her news conference wheth_. se.ek to promote_the arts and Germany. cooper . was J!Or replied "I'll be happy to cam statement. Two years is quite . ' er her views on abortion were to help mentally rejarded clo.sely tied to Mr.· Nbi:on.. • • paign - and for guess who?" a fong way. I wouldn't want children. -She also said, most close rto Vice Persident-<lesig Bush and Rush, however; ·· She said President used to commit myself." vacations would be at Vail, were close to·-Mr. naite Nelson' A. Rockefeller, Wl Nixon :ami ~ · • to kid her. about "equai Mrs. Ford said she herself· Colo., where the Fords .own a his· policies. ~; _ -"'~ . Who as governor of New York ·rights' for ~wQmen bu~ now "will not take a politically ac condominium. · . Although the~ is ~OIJ).e r~.-: · ~-. suppo'rted legalized abortion .. bas becom'e'!>ll" stTOJ!8. advo. tive part in'• politics as far as . On inflation1 Mrs. Ford . s~id p<>rted . resista.Jice with tp::'; up. .J.o ;"the 24th week or prt!g- . , f• •• . ~ ot.z the, ·Equal ··· Rights issues are concerned" but she believes that famllies N;i\TO to ·-.Haig as ,; supJeffie.. , nancy,. ot the stand of Sen. Amendment. that campaigning "is nothing have to watch their budgets comm,mder, tlle problem cen- • · James L. Buckley (IIid·,NY), Asked'- what women can do new to me" .and she expects and their checkbbolts and in ters on his a~sociation with, : ' who takes a strong .Stana to , stop , future wars, she to'do more. her own family "We have had ·the Watergate aftermath, not - against abortion; quipped: "1'.~ey can always, As fo her own mark. on -the to make an adjustment. At to his military. quall:fications; : ·. She replied that she was enlist." Then more seriously White House,' she said, "I least' in our family, ·we don't The Dutch government to- · "definitely closer" to ~ock~ she. replied, "by becoming would like to be remembered eat as much steak or roast day denied reports it ~d. • feller'" positidn • ' very active in politics - in a kind way • ~ . also as a .beef - as much /as the boys oppose Haig's nominati0n for. ' · . .. During . her news confer- which I always encourage. very constructive wife of the would like." the. NATO post. <.,; : . ·~ '("'~· .. • ...~.ft;.\"~..-.. .. ... ~ ... .,. ABORTION Mrs. Ford feels abortion is certainly justified, but she definitely is not for abortion on demand. Washington Post - September 6, 1974 (Abortion) On abortions generally, Mrs. Ford feels that individual cases should be considered under the control of a panel of doctors plus a psychiatrist in the hospital. Washington Post - September 6, 1974 {Abortion) Mrs. Ford's concern and the President's concern are essentially that there must be a remedy for persons when abortions become necessary because of serious illness or criminal attack of some kind. Washington Post - September 6, 1974 (Abortion) US News & World Report - Oct 7, 1974 (Politics) Mr. terHorst - Sep 5, 1974 (Abortion) Mrs. Ford said that she was "defintely closer" to Vice President-designate Nelson A. Rockefeller's position (supports legalized abortion on demand up to the 24th week of pregnancy) than to that of Sen. James L. Buckley (Cons.-R-NY) (opposes abortion except when a woman's life is in danger. Washington Post - Sep 5&6, 1974 (Abortion) The Evening Bulletin - Sep 5, 1974 {Abortion Mr. terHorst - Sep 5, 1974 (Abortion) Mrs. Betty Ford believes in therapeutic abortion in cases of rape and incest, but opposes abortion on demand.