The Family Foundation is supporting new abortion rules the Department of Health released Friday afternoon that would require abortion businesses to meet the same standards as legitimate medical clinics.
While abortion advocates oppose the new rules, saying they would result in the shutting down of some abortion centers that can’t abide by the rules for women’s health and safety, Chris Freund, Vice President of the Family Foundation, says his groups supports the rules the Board of Health will vote on at its meeting September 15.
“It is crucial that you contact the Board of Health and urge them to pass the regulations,” he said in an email alert to TFF’s members. “While we understand that this is only the first step in a long process toward permanent regulations, we believe that the emergency regulations presented to the Board of Health by medical experts at the Department of Health would sufficiently improve the health and safety of Virginia’s abortion centers.”
“Until now, abortion centers operated outside the mainstream of the medical community with little or no state supervision. The regulations also require standards regarding medical personnel like requiring that the doctor stay on premises until a woman is actually ready to be discharged, improved sanitary conditions, and emergency equipment for cardiac arrest, seizure, respiratory distress and other critical medical situations,” Freund continues. “If these regulations threaten Virginia’s abortion centers, one has to wonder just how bad things have been.”
Abortion centers will also have to report deaths of patients resulting from abortion procedures, he indicates. But that’s more than the administrators of abortion businesses want to have to do.
“Of course, the abortion industry has responded with hyperbole, misinformation and fear tactics. Planned Parenthood and NARAL are urging pro-abortion Virginians to contact the Board of Health to vote against these reasonable, common sense measures. They are well motivated and unified in their opposition to any and all regulations. It is essential that the Board hear from pro-life Virginians,” Freund said.
Freund argues that it is the abortion industry, not pro-life advocates who leave the interests of women and their health behind.
“It is important to remember that the abortion industry just this year rejected legislation that would have required only licensing, inspections and emergency equipment. It is clear from their rejection of that legislation and these common sense regulations that they oppose any and all efforts by the Commonwealth to ensure women’s health and safety in their centers. Their predictable and short sighted response reveals that they do not take the health of women in Virginia seriously,” he said.
Anyone wishing to submit written comments for the public comment file may do so by mail, email or fax to Joseph Hilbert, Director of Governmental and Regulatory Affairs, 109 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219, 804-864-7022 (fax), or email via https://www.votervoice.net/link/target/vaff/KyGcyJKy.aspx
Written comments must include your name and address. In order to be considered, comments must be received by the last day of the public comment period (September 15).
