Philadelphia, PA – On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health took action to ensure that no other abortionist will begin operating at Kermit Gosnell’s West Philadelphia abortion clinic because the facility itself presents a danger to the public.

Gosnell’s clinic was raided on February 22, 2010, when authorities discovered filthy and unsafe conditions, along with a collection of aborted babies that stretched by 30 years. Gosnell has been implicated in the abortion deaths of two women along with a lengthy history of botched abortions. Gosnell is known to have operated an abortion clinic illegally prior to Roe v. Wade.

The States of Pennsylvania and Delaware have since suspended Gosnell’s medical licenses on an emergency basis.

The Health Department is seeking an order prohibiting abortions at Gosnell’s clinic because of dangerous conditions found there. The office has no access for a stretcher in the case of an emergency. In previous emergencies, care was delayed because exit doors were padlocked shut or blocked with debris from the clinic.

Other infractions included the lack of emergency resuscitation equipment. A deficiency report noted that the only source of suction for patients with airway tubes was the same suction machine used for abortions. Filthy and unsanitary conditions were also cited.

Calls made by an Operation Rescue investigator to Gosnell’s clinic today were not answered, message boxes were full, and a number for second trimester abortion inquiries for “Ben Gosnell” had been disconnected.

Even Vicki Saporta of the National Abortion Federation has thrown Gosnell under the bus. She says that the NAF recently denied Gosnell affiliation because of nineteen “extensive” violations of NAF guidelines were discovered during an inspection last December. Saporta was “dumbfounded” to learn that Gosnell had been telling reporters that the NAF found his clinic to be clean.

“You, know it’s bad when the NAF won’t even have you. Their abortion clinics have the reputation of being among the worst offenders when it comes to dangerous abortionists and conditions,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “We know because we bought and closed an NAF affiliated abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas, and the horrific conditions we found there were appalling.”

Background

Washington, DC – A measure failed this morning to block a measure that would have prevented pro-abortion Democrats from using the “Slaughter Rule” to “deem” the health care bill passed without actually taking a vote on the legislation.

This clears the way for the “deeming” vote on Sunday. Some House members would rather vote to “deem” the bill passed rather than voting on the actual bill so that they can tell their constituents that they did not vote for the unpopular so-called” reform” bill that will open the doors to the largest expansion of abortion funding in U.S. history.

The latest polls show that 55% of the American people would rather have Congress scrap the current plan and start over, with more than 71% opposing the provisions that will allow for taxpayer funded abortions.

“It is clear that the Democrats under Obama are hell bent forcing this ill-conceived and unwanted legislation on the unwilling public no matter the consequences. They are even willing to circumvent the Constitutional provisions that govern lawmaking in order to do it. We must oppose this with all we have because this kind of manipulation of the system is the first step toward totalitarianism,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 12 Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak is holding strong in their opposition to the bill based on its funding of abortions. The current headcount for and against the bill is uncertain.

Please keep calling your Congressmen and Senators!

Contact Your Congressmen; Contact Your Senators.

Topeka, KS – Pro-life lawmakers are drafting legislation that would require that abortionists report the actual reasons for abortions after 22 weeks. The bill will also allow women or the women’s families to sue abortionists for doing the risky abortions for reasons not allowable by law.

The nation’s largest late-term abortion clinic once operated in Wichita, Kansas, where late-second and third trimester abortions occurred weekly. It was discovered during an investigation that such abortions were done for frivolous mental health reasons. The state has no record of any late-term abortions being done to save the mother’s life or even protect her physical health.

Kansas law specifically prohibits abortions after viability unless the mother’s life is threatened or she risks “substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. That law has been interpreted to include mental health risks as long as the mental health risk poses the same “substantial and irreversible impairment.”

Dr. Paul McHugh, an expert in Psychiatry from Johns Hopkins University, reviewed a number of records from that late-term clinic for the State Attorney General’s Office. He indicated that some late-term abortions were done for petty reasons such as the women would not be able to attend rock concerts, rodeos, or buy a new computer if they continued their pregnancies. Some records indicated that abortions in the latest term of pregnancy were done for a single episode of depression, a condition that is reversible. Abortions for such reasons are considered to be illegal.

“The new law would hold abortionists accountable by requiring them to report the exact reason for the abortion and would likely bring late abortions for frivolous reasons to an end,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “With the closure of the Wichita abortion clinic last year, there is currently no abortionist in Kansas that will do abortions after viability. This law will help to keep it that way.”