Seeing this challenge to Nebraska's abortion ban all the way through to the Supreme Court has been one of the most difficult but rewarding experiences of my life. I could not have persisted these past three years without the unwavering support of my wife and family, my dedicated staff, and fellow abortion providers. I am indebted to Simon Heller and Janet Benshoof, my attorneys and advocates from the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy -- my dream team. They have provided me the best legal representation possible. And, they have given me hope that, in this country, in America, we do not make criminals out of doctors because they provide the best care possible to women who need abortions.

I have said before that I never dreamed I would be involved in a case before the Supreme Court. But I stand here today knowing I have done the right thing. Nebraska's abortion ban is not about "late" abortions nor is it limited to any particular procedure. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other medical groups that have signed on in support of my case agree that the vaguely worded law applies to all stages of pregnancy. That's why this case and these bans are so insidious-they are deceptive attempts to overturn the right to choose whether or not to have a safe and legal abortion.

Challenging this extreme ban was, for my family, and me, an act of citizenship and patriotism. This ban violates the Constitution. This ban threatens the health of women. This ban also violates the very essence of what it is to be American. In this country, in America, the government cannot intervene in the most personal and private decisions of families for the purpose of pursuing an extremist political agenda. In this country, politicians are not supposed to be able to tell you when and how often to bear children. In this country, politicians should not be able to threaten the lives of women to gain political advantage or an electoral office.

I was a young physician in the years before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal. I saw women who came to the hospital dying or close to death and it made a lasting impression on me. Thousands of women each year died needlessly and others were left sterile because they could not receive critical medical care. I learned then that women will do whatever they have to do - whether legal or not - to end a crisis pregnancy. The costs of illegal abortions to women's lives, to their families, and to the American society is too high. There must be a firm moral, medical, and political commitment to prevent a return to the days when we sacrificed women.