Guest Post by Rachel Schroder
Right now, pro-life and pro-abortion forces are locked in a tight battle in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbot added a Chemical Abortion safety regulation bill to the special session that would (1) require in-person visits with an abortionist before and after a Chemical Abortion and (2) ban Chemical Abortions after seven weeks which is when they are even more dangerous for women. This bill should be unanimously signed. Unfortunately, 50+ members of the Texas House fled to Washington, D.C. to prevent a quorum in the House, which is required for a floor vote. Since legislation must pass both the House and Senate in order to reach the governor’s desk, the bill may have to wait until another special session for it to fully pass.
While the House recessed, however, the Texas Senate went straight to work. And so did Students for Life Action. Soon after Gov. Abbott added the Chemical Abortion safety regulation bill (SB 4/HB 6) to the special session call, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee scheduled a hearing. Three students representing Students for Life Action testified in support of the legislation and other students demonstrated their support by attending as well. After an emotional testimony by one of the students, Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., the Democrat who authored the bill, referred to the testimony as one of the proudest moments of his 35-year political career. Multiple other senators complimented the courage of the students who testified and attended. Chairwomen Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, said the hearing was her favorite ever and the most inspirational thing she had experienced in months. The bill immediately passed committee by a 5-0 vote, with four senators absent. The next day, it passed the full Senate.
Attending the hearing caused some students to wonder, “If the majority of the Health and Human Services committee already aligned with the pro-life viewpoint and if the bill was expected to pass, what was the point of even showing up?” These students learned the answer to their question. Youth presence at legislative events makes a visible difference. The legislators were emboldened to continue to push for pro-life legislation after witnessing the passion of the Pro-life Generation. Their faces beamed as they exited the hearing room and excitedly asked for pictures with the students. Additionally, the opportunity to testify in a friendly environment gave the students the experience necessary to testify in a hostile environment in the future.
Here’s why the Pro-life Generation cares so much about Chemical Abortion regulations both in our states and federally…
The Biden administration recently rolled back the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) which require an abortionist to see the woman before dispensing Chemical Abortion pills. Because of the politically-motivated changes to Chemical Abortion safety standards, minors, including preteens, and even their sex abusers may be able to order abortion pills via text and use them without the oversight of a doctor. Chemical Abortion becomes way more dangerous in the second trimester, but many women misdate their last menstrual cycle. Without an in-person ultrasound, a woman may take the drug later in her pregnancy, exposing her to an even greater risk of hemorrhage and infection than if taken within the first trimester. Policies are also needed to require a physician to meet with the woman after the abortion to confirm that it was fully completed, meaning that parts of the dead baby or placenta were not left behind. See thisischemicalabortion.com for more information regarding the above facts.
In-person evaluation is a common sense standard which the majority of America’s youth support. The Institute for Pro-Life Advancement surveyed Millennials and Gen Z voters, the majority of which voted for Biden. By a margin of 2 to 1, they said they would vote for a legislator who supported in-person doctor visits before getting the RU-486 pills.
Chemical Abortions, which have a 4x higher complication rate than surgical abortion, now account for close to half of all abortions. While other political issues concern quality of life, the abortion issue is life and death — for women and children. This policy is urgent because women deserve better than dangerous Chemical Abortions.