Greensboro Reporter

Washington, DC - On May 16, 2023, Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06) released the following statement regarding the North Carolina State House and Senate votes to override Governor Cooper’s veto of the Republican-led 12-week abortion ban.

“On May 16, North Carolina Republican’s acted against the medical advice of over 1,500 North Carolina physicians to impose burdensome restrictions on abortion care and strip away women’s freedom to make private medical decisions.

“The vague and unnecessary restrictions will criminalize physicians and restrict their ability to offer timely medical care to their patients. The licensing restrictions for abortion care providers will force nearly half of the clinics in the state to shut down – limiting access to birth control, pap smears, and breast and cervical cancer screenings. It will also lead to physician and OB/GYN shortages, placing care for many women further out of reach. 

“There can be no doubt this will harm women’s health. It will also have economic consequences; encouraging businesses to settle in neighboring states where arduous health care restrictions that limit employee recruitment and retention aren’t present.

“I’ll continue to fight to codify the right to abortion into federal law. I’m also preparing to reintroduce my Right to Contraception Act, legislation to codify the right for every American to access FDA-approved birth control methods. This is critical considering the North Carolina Senate included a measure in the budget released on May 16 that blocks state funding for birth control at any clinic that provides abortions,” said Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06).

Specifically, this legislation will:

• Require a total of three in-person doctors visits, two before receiving an abortion, including one that must be conducted 72-hours before the abortion, and one follow-up visit,
• Ban medication abortion after 10 weeks gestation. In North Carolina, 60% of abortions performed are medication abortions.
• Require any abortion after the first trimester to be performed in a hospital, which will increase costs for women.
• Require doctors to report every miscarriage and abortion to the state,
• Fine doctors $5,000 if they are found to perform an abortion outside the 12-week mark and will refer doctors to the North Carolina Medical Board to determine if their medical license should be revoked. 
• Fine any person or organization $5,000 per violation that sends an abortion medication pill directly to a woman.

Background: 

In North Carolina, over 1,500 doctors have urged North Carolina lawmakers to oppose this legislation and over 200 businesses have joined together to protest this abortion ban, citing the economic consequences of abortion bans. 

Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges found a 10.5% drop in medical school graduates applying for OB/GYN residency programs in states with abortion bans.

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Congresswoman Manning is Policy Co-chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, member of the Pro-Choice Caucus, and cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation to codify the right to abortion into federal law. Congresswoman Manning introduced the Right to Contraception Act, which passed the House in the 117th Congress, with no Republicans from North Carolina voting in favor of the legislation.

Health

Original source can be found here.