September 22, 2020

Cassidy: U.S. Should Ban Chemical Abortions

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act.

Chemical abortions occur when a drug is used to terminate a pregnancy. These drugs can be prescribed without a physical consultation by a health care provider and can be sent through the mail. They are known to cause severe complications for the mother, including death.

“The total absence of medical support is a total absence of care. Using these dangerous chemicals without medical support is the absence of health,” said Dr. Cassidy. “If Americans care about women’s health, then they should be concerned that such procedures are allowed when they pose a tremendous threat to women.”

Download Cassidy’s speech here.

View Cassidy’s speech on YouTube here.

Cassidy’s full speech as prepared for delivery is as follows:

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you Senator Hyde-Smith for organizing this colloquy today in support of the Support and Value Expectant (SAVE)Moms and Babies Act. As a doctor, I made it my mission in life to save lives and improve health care outcomes for all patients. Chemical abortions do neither.

The health risks are severe, obviously for the unborn child but also for the mother, when dangerous procedures such as this are attempted without the supervision of a health care provider. The total absence of medical support is a total absence of care. Using these dangerous chemicals without medical support is the absence of health. If Americans care about women’s health, then they should be concerned that such procedures are allowed when they pose such a tremendous threat to women.

Yet, chemical abortions are on the rise. They represent nearly 40 percent of all abortions, as of 2017. Women can have these chemicals sent to them through the mail and prescribed without ever receiving a physical examination from a health care provider. 

The potential complications caused by chemical abortion drugs are many. For example, a woman with an ectopic pregnancy –where the baby and placenta implant outside of the womb –can result in the mother’s death if she takes chemical abortion pills. That pill, known as Mifeprex, can cause the pregnancy to rupture. This means that an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy can result in the mother to bleeding to death. Chemical abortions have four times the complications as surgical abortion during the first trimester. As many as 6 percent of women taking abortion drugs required surgery to complete the abortion, which is painful and life-threatening for the mother and horrific for the unborn child.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated, “Compared with surgical abortion, medical abortion takes longer to complete, requires more active patient participation, and is associated with higher reported rates of bleeding and cramping.”

The bill we’re discussing today, the SAVE Moms and Babies Act, takes substantive steps to protect the health of women and unborn children. The bill prevents approval of new abortion drugs by the FDA, keeps the risk evaluation mitigation strategy (REMS) protocol, and curtails abortion pills from being dispensed by mail or through telemedicine.

I introduced the Teleabortion Prevention Act of 2020 in February that requires a doctor to physically examine pregnant women before prescribing any abortion-related drugs and requires a follow up appointment. We want women to receive actual health care, and we want health care providers to actual care about women’s health.

If Senators in this body truly care about women’s health, then they should join with us to stop these do-it-yourself abortions. Preventing abortion protects unborn babies. Preventing chemical abortion protects women. Let’s work together to protect women by passing the SAVE Moms and Babies Act to forever end dangerous chemical abortions. Thank you, I yield back.

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