***I have now made small edits to my main abortion proposal to make sure it is 100% clear that this bill does NOT authorize funding for elective abortions (and never did). Also, it does NOT compel medically providers and professionals to perform elective abortions. A few pro-lifers took issue with the terminology of “abortion” as many pro-lifers do not consider life-saving/medically indicated abortion to be abortion, so they misconstrued its purpose. A medically indicated D & C is not always considered “abortion” by some state laws. Either way, regardless of my language choice, the stipulations in question only affirms and strengthens existing law that medical providers are obligated to stabilize their patients and avoid medical neglect/malpractice.
It does NOT provide exceptions for mere disabilities or conditions like Down Syndrome. I would consider conditions like anencephaly to be a “severe” abnormality, or if the baby was “chronically and irreversibly comatose”–cases in which the US Child Abuse Prevention Act specifies would not be “medically indicated” for treatment.
The Infant with Anencephaly | New England Journal of Medicine (nejm.org) End-of-Life Decision Making for Unborn and Newborn Infants | Carlton Fields
Vegetative State: Diagnosis, Symptoms, Treatment & More (healthline.com)
I have also been careful to point out that my idea for a Medi-caid/insurance co-pay funded in-home visits from an independently contracted parenting coach, is for a LIMITED number of visits. It could just be one or two. But either way, this would have to be fleshed out by the legislators. I don’t know how many visits it would be but the legislators could cross that bridge when we get there. This is absolutely health-related. This helps the parents’ mental health, and the improvement in their parenting and relationships will also improve their children’s mental outcome, and everyone’s overall health outcomes.
This is a well-researched, comprehensive, that addresses top concerns about abortion and pro-life laws vs. maternal healthcare, will calm the polarization of this issue and help Trump win more votes. It’s not a “compromise;” it’s the best chance we have, in this moment, to keep a pro-life foot in the door, save the pro-life movement, until hopefully we pass a ban in the next presidency. So for those of you voting on this dude’s proposal, could you also vote for mine, too, as a back-up?