Washington, D.C.: Representative Steve King (R-Ia.) introduced H.R. 5731, the Telemedicine Safety Act, on Thursday, May 10, 2012. The Act creates safeguards to ensure no federal funds are used to pay for the infamous practice of “telemed abortions,” or to fund facilities at which these abortions are performed. Co-sponsored by 47 pro-life Members of Congress, the Act would further prohibit telemedicine abortions across state lines.
Abortion clinics, particularly Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa, have offered RU-486 (chemical) abortions to patients without a doctor being physically present for assessment of the woman’s medical condition. Instead, the woman talks to a doctor over the internet and the doctor, who could be hundreds of miles away, remotely approves the dispensing of the drug. FDA guidelines require RU-486 to be dispensed by a doctor. This requirement is essential to protecting the health of the woman since RU-486 requires surgical follow-up in some cases, and has been associated with severe health consequences and even death. Removing the physical patient-physician contact places women at additional risk and leaves them without a doctor of their own to call on should complications arise.
LLDF commends the pro-life members of congress who have taken this first step toward curbing the abominable practice of “telemed abortions.” To see if your member of Congress was among the original cosponsors, see the list below.
Original Cosponsors:
Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-5]
Rep. Bachmann, Michele [R-MN-6]
Rep. Bartlett, Roscoe G. [R-MD-6]
Rep. Benishek, Dan [R-MI-1]
Rep. Black, Diane [R-TN-6]
Rep. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN-7]
Rep. Brady, Kevin [R-TX-8]
Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10]
Rep. Canseco, Francisco “Quico” [R-TX-23]
Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4]
Rep. DesJarlais, Scott [R-TN-4]
Rep. Duncan, Jeff [R-SC-3]
Rep. Ellmers, Renee L. [R-NC-2]
Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. “Chuck” [R-TN-3]
Rep. Fleming, John [R-LA-4]
Rep. Flores, Bill [R-TX-17]
Rep. Garrett, Scott [R-NJ-5]
Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]
Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1]
Rep. Hartzler, Vicky [R-MO-4]
Rep. Huelskamp, Tim [R-KS-1]
Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-2]
Rep. Hultgren, Randy [R-IL-14]
Rep. Johnson, Bill [R-OH-6]
Rep. Jones, Walter B., Jr. [R-NC-3]
Rep. Jordan, Jim [R-OH-4]
Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-3]
Rep. Lamborn, Doug [R-CO-5]
Rep. Landry, Jeffrey M. [R-LA-3]
Rep. Lankford, James [R-OK-5]
Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3]
Rep. Manzullo, Donald A. [R-IL-16]
Rep. Marchant, Kenny [R-TX-24]
Rep. McCotter, Thaddeus G. [R-MI-11]
Rep. McHenry, Patrick T. [R-NC-10]
Rep. Miller, Jeff [R-FL-1]
Rep. Murphy, Tim [R-PA-18]
Rep. Myrick, Sue Wilkins [R-NC-9]
Rep. Neugebauer, Randy [R-TX-19]
Rep. Pearce, Stevan [R-NM-2]
Rep. Pitts, Joseph R. [R-PA-16]
Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1]
Rep. Ross, Dennis [R-FL-12]
Rep. Schmidt, Jean [R-OH-2]
Rep. Schweikert, David [R-AZ-5]
Rep. Scott, Tim [R-SC-1]
Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Rep. Southerland, Steve [R-FL-2]