Des Moines, IA – An Iowa Congressman has submitted a letter to the Iowa Board of Medicine expressing concerns about “telemed abortions” where abortion pills are distributed through a remote-controlled push button scheme that eliminates personal contact with licensed physicians.
Rep. Steve King wrote, “On April 8, 2010, Operation Rescue filed a formal complaint with the Iowa Board of Medicine raising several concerns regarding this new practice of ‘telemed abortions.’ I share these concerns and urge the Iowa Board of Medicine to reject this unlawful and dangerous practice.”
King released his letter on Friday, the same day the Iowa Board of Medicine took public comment on the telemed abortion practice.
Operation Rescue joined with a number of prolife organizations in denouncing telemed abortions at a press conference held prior to the IBM board meeting. The press conference was organized by Iowans for Life Director Maggie DeWitte, who submitted a letter to the Board signed by 57 local and national pro-life leaders asking for it to end the usage of telemed abortions in Iowa.
Approximately thirty people came to address the Board on the topic of telemed abortions. However, the Board only allowed seven people to comment. They gave the seven speakers a total of ten minutes for their combined remarks. All speakers expressed opposition to telemed abortions and no one spoke in favor of it.
Speakers included former Iowa Health Commissioner Norm Pawlewski, who now heads Iowa Christian Alliance, Attorney Tom Brejcha of the Thomas More Society in Chicago, IL, Maggie Dewitte of Iowans for Life, Jennifer Bowden of Iowa Right to Life, Monsignor Frank Bognanno of Christ the King Parish in Des Moines, Registered Nurse Michelle Locher, and Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue who filed the original complaint with the IBM.
Mr. Brejcha submitted a letter detailing why the telemed abortions run afoul of Iowa law.
During the press conference, Sullenger announced that Operation Rescue had filed complaints demanding criminal investigations of illegal telemed abortions in ten Iowa counties and has refiled a request for a state audit with the State Auditor and the Iowa Insurance Commission.
“We received a letter from the Iowa Attorney General ‘s office that sounded more like a letter from a Planned Parenthood attorney than from someone who is sworn to uphold the laws of the State of Iowa. Because is it now clear that Mr. Miller is acting as an apologist for Planned Parenthood and an obstructionist in the process of enforcing Iowa law, we will bypass his office and go to the local authorities,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
Read letter from Rep. Steve King
Read letter submitted by Thomas More Society
Read letter submitted by Iowans for Life
Read letter to Operation Rescue from IA Attorney General’s office
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