President Bush Will Soon Become First in History to Criminalize Safe Medical Procedure
Pro-choice Wisconsinites expressed profound disappointment today as the U.S. Senate sends the so-called ‘Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003’ to President Bush for his signature.
“Patients and their doctors should make medical decisions – not the federal government,” said Courtney Emery, an organization spokesperson.
Opposed by such reputable organizations as the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the ban on so-called partial birth abortion is the first federal law in history to criminalize a safe medical procedure.
Contrary to popular perception, this legislation does not ban just one procedure. Rather, this broad ban covers a wide range of procedures, some used as early as the 12th week of pregnancy.
“‘Partial birth abortion’ is a political term, not a medical one, and anti-choice lawmakers have used such inflammatory rhetoric to deceive the American public about the true nature of this bill,” said Emery.
This ban does not allow an exception to protect women’s health, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has stated that such an exception is constitutionally required.
“The lack of a health exception suggests that anti-choice lawmakers are so intent on hindering access to comprehensive reproductive health care that they are willing to ignore Supreme Court precedent,” said Emery.
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