House Republicans introduce Kermit Gosnell bill

[alp227]

Shouldn't be a surprise that Republicans would grab a politicization opportunity when they see it. The Post Politics blog at WashingtonPost.com reports:

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) expresses the sense of the House — i.e. it is not binding — that Congress “should investigate and correct abusive, unsanitary, and illegal abortion practices” and conduct hearings on its findings.

The bill’s language makes two specific references to Gosnell, including the unsanitary conditions at his practices and the alleged illegal activity.

The text of the resolution includes:

Whereas the dedication of the people of the United States to this principle, though at times tragically marred by institutions such as slavery and practices such as segregation and the denial of the right to vote, has summoned the people of the United States time and again to fight for human dignity and the common good;

Whereas the people of the United States believe that every human life is precious from its very beginning, and that every individual, regardless of age, health, or condition of dependency, deserves the respect and protection of society;

Whereas the people of the United States believe that early and consistent care for mothers, with due regard both for the well-being of expectant mothers and for the children they carry, is a primary goal of any sound health care policy in the United States;

Whereas no woman should ever be abandoned, by policy or practice, to the depredations of an unlicensed, unregulated, or uninspected clinic operating outside of the law with no regard for the mothers or children ostensibly under its care;

Whereas the Report of the Grand Jury in the Court of Common Pleas of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, certified on January 14, 2011, contains the results of a thorough investigation of the policies and practices of Dr. Kermit Gosnell and the Women’s Medical Society of Philadelphia, which found multiple violations of law and public policy relating to abortion clinics, and recommended to the Pennsylvania Department of Health that these abortion clinics `be explicitly regulated as ambulatory surgical facilities, so that they are inspected annually and held to the same standards as all other outpatient procedure centers’;

Whereas the Report of the Grand Jury documented a pattern, over a period of 2 decades, at the Women’s Medical Society of Philadelphia of untrained and uncertified personnel performing abortions, non-medical personnel administering medications, grossly unsanitary and dangerous conditions, violations of law regarding storage of human remains, and, above all, instances of willful murder of infants born alive by severing their spinal cords;

Whereas the imposition of criminal and civil penalties on individuals and corporations involved in the deplorable practices described in this preamble is appropriate, but is not the only necessary response to such practices;

Whereas it is essential that the Federal Government and State and local governments take action to prevent dangerous conditions at abortion clinics;

Whereas government accountability means that officials whose duty it is to protect the safety and well-being of mothers accessing health care clinics must have their actions made public and their failures redressed;

Whereas the extent of, and purported justification for, legal and illegal abortions in the United States performed late in the second trimester of pregnancy and into and throughout the third trimester of pregnancy are not routinely reported by all States or by the Centers for Disease Control, and are therefore unknown;

I keep hearing right wingers suggest that pet stores get more regulations than abortion clinics. They should rightfully so be condemning Gosnell - but they secretly wish that ANY woman who wants to "KILL A BABY" suffers under Gosnell-type conditions as frequently happened BEFORE Roe v Wade.

[Mr. David]

1. Passed by the House, ignored by the Senate.

Daily routine, nothing new.

[Drale]

2. "illegal abortion practices”

You mean like State's passing laws making it difficult if not impossible for a women seeking an abortion to get a safe one?

[Warpy]

3. This is also unnecessary

Laws were in place covering that clinic and providing for its periodic inspection to ensure compliance.

The state just didn't bother to do it.

That's where the problem lies. Either Gosnell was paying someone off or it's one of those departments that doesn't bother to inspect anybody. I think the former is much more likely.

[KamaAina]

4. No Pa. repukes to introduce it?

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.)

Hmmmm....

[dballance]

5. Thank You. Just What I was Thinking.

Totally unnecessary resolution. Now if they'd pull their respective sticks out of their asses and supply more funds for the regulators who are supposed to be inspecting clinics, of all kinds, so that the current laws get enforced we'd be better off. I don't see them ginning up a resolution to investigate dental/oral surgeon's offices despite the two recent cases of dentists/oral surgeons possibly infecting thousands of patients with Hepatitis, HIV and STDS; some of which can lead to death or life-long debilitating diseases.