Rep. Nancy Mace, Annie Andrews debate over Life at Conception Act

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — With three weeks until Election Day, the race for South Carolina's First Congressional seat takes on a controversial issue -- abortion.

At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Annie Andrews called on Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-01) to remove her co-sponsorship of HR 1011, better known as the "Life at Conception Act."

"Nancy Mace is actually a co-sponsor of a national abortion ban bill with no exceptions for rape, incest or life of the mother. Even worse, her bill would ban IVF and throw doctors in jail," says Andrews.

The bill is about a page long and does not mention abortion, IVF, or penalties for doctors.

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It does state that life begins at conception.

“I have never sponsored, let alone voted, for a bill that banned abortions without exceptions, and the bill that she referenced this afternoon does not talk about abortions and certainly does not talk about banning abortions," says Mace.

Mace says the bill is symbolic, and she remains steadfast on her position for exceptions to abortion for life of the mother, rape, incest and fetal abnormalities.

“It is really a symbolic bill, that just brings up that life begins at conception, which is, you know -- it doesn’t change any laws, it doesn’t change the constitution,” says Mace.

Andrews says the bill implies a full ban on abortion.

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“This amounts to a full and total abortion ban, a ban on invitro fertilization, and a ban on the treatment of miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies," says Andrews.

Andrews believes abortion will be the top issue to bring voters to the polls.

“This is the No. 1 issues on the minds of most women voters and the husbands that support them. This district is heavy with suburbs and suburban women, and we will win this election on this issue," says Andrews.

But Mace says, while abortion is an important issue, she believes people will be voting with money on their minds.

“They are seeing the enormous spending by the administration, the higher taxes, the higher price for everything in their lives, and that is what they are going to be voting on in November, and my opponent doesn’t have a plan," says Mace.

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