Despite claims from the Biden administration and abortion rights advocates that pro-life laws put women's health at risk, new data from Texas reveals that doctors have intervened in cases where the mother's life was in jeopardy. Secretary Becerra's evasion of a question on late-term abortion limits raises concerns about the government's commitment to protecting both women and unborn children.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has declined to provide clarification on the Biden administration's stance regarding late-term abortion limits. This decision comes amidst allegations from politicians, media outlets, and abortion activists that pro-life laws endanger women's health by restricting access to necessary medical interventions.
HHS Secretary Becerra Dodges Question on Late-Term Abortion Limits Amidst Claims of Endangerment
However, newly released data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC ITOP) contradicts these claims. In the 22 months since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Texas doctors have performed 113 abortions to save the lives of pregnant women.
Texas law, like every other pro-life law in the United States, includes an exception for medically necessary abortions when the pregnancy poses a life-threatening risk to the mother. This exception ensures that doctors can intervene when necessary without fear of legal repercussions.
HHS Secretary Becerra Dodges Question on Late-Term Abortion Limits Amidst Claims of Endangerment
Despite this clear exception, Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration have repeatedly asserted that pro-life laws hinder doctors' ability to provide life-saving abortions. In response to a Texas Supreme Court ruling allowing physicians to use "reasonable medical judgment" in determining the need for a medically necessary abortion, Harris tweeted that "women will continue to be denied access to necessary medical care, putting their health and lives at risk."
However, the Texas data suggests that these claims are unfounded. Since the Dobbs ruling, no doctor has faced prosecution or sanctions for performing an abortion to save a woman's life. Additionally, no pregnant woman has died due to the provisions of Texas' pro-life laws, despite over 360,000 live births in the state each year.
HHS Secretary Becerra Dodges Question on Late-Term Abortion Limits Amidst Claims of Endangerment
Dr. Ingrid Skop, vice president and director of medical affairs at Charlotte Lozier Institute, attributes the initial confusion among physicians to "intentional media misinformation" about Texas pro-life laws. However, she notes that subsequent guidance from the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Medical Board has clarified that doctors can rely on their "reasonable medical judgment" to determine when an intervention is necessary.
"The Texas ITOP Reports also demonstrate that physicians have been intervening in the rare circumstances when an abortion is necessary to save the life of a mother," Skop said. "In 2023, 62 abortions were performed in hospitals. 77% were performed by labor induction and only 6% by dilation and evacuation (dismemberment) abortion. 90% were performed between 13- and 25-weeks post-fertilization."
HHS Secretary Becerra Dodges Question on Late-Term Abortion Limits Amidst Claims of Endangerment
Pro-life groups have launched "Med Ed" efforts in Texas and other states to combat the spread of misinformation that can confuse doctors and endanger women. Kelsey Pritchard, the director of state public affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, emphasizes that Texas law specifically allows doctors to intervene based on "foreseeable threat," rather than waiting for the woman's life to be in imminent danger.
Pritchard believes that Democrats' insistence on highlighting these alleged risks of pro-life laws is a distraction from their ultimate goal of legalizing all-trimester abortion, which is unpopular with most Americans. "I think the abortion lobby has been telling this lie for a while now that if there is a pro-life law that will put women in danger and women will die because they won't be able to get emergency care," she said.
Pro-choice groups have made similar claims in other states with pro-life laws, such as Florida and Arizona. However, data and legal clarifications have consistently debunked these allegations. Pritchard stresses that such misinformation can have harmful consequences for women seeking medical care.
"That lie is what is putting women in danger, it is what has led some women to delay seeking care," she said. "We've heard some of these horror stories where there are a handful of doctors that are confused about their ability to provide care, like the story of a woman who was told to wait in her car till she was bleeding profusely. That is wrong and those situations are really often created by this misinformation."
The Biden administration's refusal to address the question of late-term abortion limits raises concerns about its commitment to safeguarding both women and unborn children. The evidence suggests that pro-life laws with exceptions for medically necessary abortions do not compromise women's health. Instead, it is the continued spread of misinformation that poses the greatest risk to women seeking essential medical care.
