WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), a pharmacist by trade, introduced a bill today alongside Reps. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) and Blake Moore (R-UT) to protect pharmacists' conscience rights when choosing whether to fill prescriptions for elective abortions.
The Pharmacist Conscience Protection Act, co-sponsored by 26 House Republicans, comes after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued guidance warning pharmacists that they may be in violation of federal civil rights laws if they do not fill such prescriptions.
“Your first amendment rights don’t go away when you put on a white coat,” said Rep. Carter. “This legislation will ensure that pharmacists are able to make the medical decisions that are best for the health of the mother, the life of the child, and the integrity of their practice without threats from non-medically trained bureaucrats. Medical decisions should be made between doctors, pharmacists, and patients - not the federal government.”
“I will not stand by and let the Biden administration use an extremist and unlawful agenda of taxpayer-funded abortions through birth to persecute pharmacists who have religious, moral, or conscience objections to the intentional killing of unborn children through abortion. As a licensed pharmacist for more than 30 years, I have always followed the precept of first doing no harm. I will always stand-up for the lives of unborn children, and will always defend health practitioners who believe the same," said Congresswoman Harshbarger. “Pharmacists and other health professionals should never be punished for their moral beliefs in protecting life, or be threatened or forced to facilitate abortions against such beliefs. I call on the Biden administration to immediately withdraw this outrageous assault on pharmacists’ conscience rights, and to stop treating the Constitution like its own political chew-toy!”
“Conscience protections prevent discrimination and ensure Americans in the healthcare sector are not forced to violate their beliefs. As the Biden Administration takes steps to undermine the conscience rights of pharmacists, I am proud to join Congressman Buddy Carter and Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger in introducing the Pharmacist Conscience Protection Act which would ensure pharmacists can refuse to provide abortion drugs without repercussion. Pharmacists, along with other medical and healthcare workers, should never be coerced into participating in abortions, and this bill is an important step in supporting medical professionals who have deep convictions about practicing life-affirming medicine,” said Rep. Moore
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), David McKinley (R-WV), Ken Buck (R-CO), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Mary Miller (R-IL), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Bill Posey (R-FL), Greg Steube (R-FL), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Brian Babin (R-TX), Dan Webster (R-FL), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Randy Weber (R-TX), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Robert E. Aderholt (R-AL), Don Bacon (R-NE), Robert E. Latta (R-OH), and Andrew Clyde (R-GA).
Read more in Politico.
Read the full bill text here.
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