The Biden administration is considering declaring a public health emergency to allow wider access to abortion, according to Axios.
Pro-abortion politicians and abortion advocates have been pushing for the Biden administration to respond to what they consider a “full-scale reproductive health crisis” following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. In a July 2022 letter to President Biden and Department of Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra, pro-abortion members of Congress asked for a national emergency declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act as well as a Public Health Emergency declaration on abortion access.
“The Supreme Court’s radical and dangerous decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has precipitated a full-scale reproductive health crisis across our nation,” states the letter. “It has also plunged our health system into a state of uncertainty and upheaval that threatens patients’ lives. Abortion bans can unnecessarily impede lifesaving medical procedures in the event of pregnancy complications or loss. Health experts warn that in the aftermath of this disastrous ruling, the U.S. maternal mortality rate — which is already the highest in the developed world — is certain to rise, with disproportionate impacts on communities of color.”
In reality, induced abortion (the intent to kill a preborn child) — which is the sole action restricted by pro-life laws — is not necessary to save women’s lives. In a medical emergency, a preborn child can be delivered prematurely to ensure the safety of the mother. The child does not need to be killed prior to delivery. Even if the child is too young to survive, delivery without intentionally causing the child’s death is not an induced abortion. Likewise, miscarriage treatment and treatment for ectopic pregnancies are not induced abortions. They never have been; pro-life laws clearly state this.
In addition, the maternal mortality rate in the United States has only risen since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion throughout the nation. Statistics show that in nations with pro-life laws, maternal mortality rates are lower.
According to the letter, pro-abortion states and abortion businesses could enjoy “Medicaid State Plan Amendment flexibilities and the ability to accelerate access to new medications authorized for abortion.”
“There are certain criteria that you look for to be able to declare a public health emergency. That’s typically done by scientists and those that are professionals in those fields who will tell us whether we are in a state of emergency and based on that, I have the ability to make a declaration,” Becerra told Axios during a public event on Monday.
Not mentioned by Becerra is the fact that the professionals in the field of reproductive health frequently stand to profit from the advancement of abortion, as many are abortionists themselves or have financial ties to the abortion industry; therefore, any declaration of a public health emergency is likely to be viewed with heavy skepticism.
The White House said in July that calling for a public health emergency for abortion access didn’t “seem like a great option.”
Public health emergencies are normally declared for natural disasters, instances like the opioid crisis, and pandemics. Pregnancy is not a disease and the births of more human beings — the ones typically targeted for abortion — are not a danger to the American public, despite the implications of pro-abortion U.S. lawmakers.
