Conn. Senator Blocks ‘Narrow’ Resolution Calling for Nationwide Inspections of Abortion Facilities

May 10, 2013 | Filed under: Health,Law & Government,Top Stories | By: Heather Clark

 154  5

 

 3  168

Washington, D.C. – A Democratic Senator from Connecticut has blocked a Senate resolution which recommends that abortion facilities nationwide be inspected and investigated, stating that the effort is too narrow.
As previously reported, Senator Mike Lee of Utah proposed the resolution on Monday, which served as a non-binding statement that “[e]xpress[es] the sense of the Senate that Congress and the States should investigate and correct abusive, unsanitary,and illegal abortion practices.”
“[T]he Declaration of Independence sets forth the principle that all people are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the document read. “[T]he people of the United States believe that every human life is precious from its very beginning, and that every individual, regardless of age, health, or condition of dependency, deserves the respect and protection of society.”
Citing the notorious Kermit Gosnell trial, and a recent incident in Delaware where two former abortion workers at Planned Parenthood characterized the abortion facility as a “meat market,” the resolution outlined the assertion that the federal and state governments need to be proactive in handling such matters.

“Women and children in the United States deserve better than the 56,145,920 abortions that have been performed in the United States since the Supreme Court rulings in Roe v. Wade,” it declared.
Among the list of recommended actions were that both Congress and the states should collect information about abortion facilities that violate the law, as well as interstate schemes where women are sent to separate facilities to obtain a third trimester abortion.
On Monday evening, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut blocked the passage of the resolution, which would have otherwise been a unanimous vote. He told reporters that he feels Lee’s proposal is too narrow as it focuses solely on the abortion industry and that it should rather extend to all medical practices.

Connect with Christian News

“This problem is broader than the issue cited in Senator Lee’s resolution,” he said.
He pointed to concerns surrounding an Oklahoma dentist who made headlines earlier this year after it was discovered that he potentially exposed approximately 7,000 patients to Hepatitis B and C and HIV, as well as other stories pertaining to the medical field.
“These incidents as alleged are willful violations of law, violations of human dignity and decency that ought to shock the conscience of the nation every bit to its core as much as the alleged misconduct and potential criminal activity in Pennsylvania,” he said.

Blumenthal thus proposed his own resolution in place of Lee’s to widen the scope of the measure.
“It is difficult to imagine why anyone would object to a non-binding resolution calling on Congress to investigate these alleged disturbing, horrific, and illegal abortion practices committed by Kermit Gosnell and others,” wrote Lee in a news release on Wednesday.
“With numerous reports of similar instances surfacing around the country, the need for greater regulatory oversight of these so-called clinics is so plainly obvious,” he said. “It strains the limits of disbelief to think all members of the Senate would not agree.”
A similar resolution has now been introduced in the House of Representatives.