Northam, a Democrat, was elected governor of Virginia in 2018. He is a pediatric neurologist.
In an interview with WTOP-FM on Wednesday, he said the firestorm created by a bill introduced in the Virginia House of Delegates that would allow "abortions" even while the mother is dilating "was really blown out of proportion."
"When we talk about third-trimester abortions, these are done with the consent of obviously the mother, with the consent of the physician‐more than one physician, by the way‐and it’s done in cases where there may be severe deformities," Northam said. "There may be a fetus that’s non-viable."
Northam’s response, however, is inconsistent with the actual language of the legislation. HB 2491 specifically eliminates the requirement of more than one physician’s "consent":