We Need To Talk About The Republican Lawmaker Blaming Democrats For Her Doctors' Reluctance To End Her Pregnancy
Note: This post is an Op-Ed and shares the author's personal views.
Republican Congressperson Kat Cammack is making headlines for blaming her doctors' reluctance to end her life-threatening pregnancy on Democrats.
Yes, you read that correctly. In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Kat recalled experiencing an ectopic pregnancy last year, shortly after Florida's six-week abortion ban went into effect.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, "an ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg implants outside of your uterus, most commonly in your fallopian tube... An ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition that requires emergency treatment."
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She was about five weeks pregnant, the embryo had no heartbeat, and a doctor told her she could die. Even so, Kat says the hospital staff hesitated to expel the pregnancy as they were afraid of prosecution. She argued for hours and even tried calling Governor Ron DeSantis's office; in the end, they agreed to give her the shot of methotrexate she needed.
In a remarkable display of cognitive dissonance, the lawmaker blamed liberal "fearmongering" for her issues at the hospital, suggesting the left's messaging around abortion bans ultimately made doctors paranoid (but apparently not the heavy consequences that come with breaking the abortion bans).
She continued, "I would stand with any woman — Republican or Democrat — and fight for them to be able to get care in a situation where they are experiencing a miscarriage and an ectopic."
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The fall of Roe v. Wade paved the way for abortion bans and restrictions in states throughout the US, with disastrous consequences. According to the Center of Reproductive Rights, people are experiencing delayed or denied care because providers fear severe penalties. In Florida, doctors can face felony charges, five years in prison, and up to a $5K fine for performing the procedure. In Texas, it's even harsher, with doctors facing felony charges, life in prison, and a $100K fine. In both states, they can also lose their medical licenses.
Amber Thurman. Josseli Barnica. Nevaeh Crain. These are the names of some of the women who've died in red states due to delayed care under abortion bans in recent years. I'm obviously not a doctor, but it seems like their deaths might've been prevented if not for the criminalization of abortion care. Amber's doctors waited 19 hours. Josseli's waited 40. Nevaeh visited the emergency room three times. To think that we had the knowledge and technology to save these women, but the doctors felt their hands were tied by the state.
As a woman who lives in Texas, I'm always heartbroken by the news of any person dying due to the draconian abortion laws here. According to the Gender Equity Policy Institute, Texas has the highest number of maternal deaths in the US (and the rates are significantly worse for Black women). Before any conservatives ask if that's simply because Texas is the second-most populated state, California has the largest population but the lowest maternal mortality rate in the country. I wonder why.
In addition to horrific loss of life, abortion bans have impacted healthcare in myriad other ways. Some OB-GYNs have left red states altogether. The number of med school graduates applying for OB-GYN residencies in states with abortion bans has decreased. Abortion bans are also worsening maternity care deserts.
So, I struggle to sympathize with Kat Cammack. Instead of empathizing with all people who might want or need abortions, she remains a co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus. "How can that be?" you might ask. Well, in true Republican fashion, she decided that her situation was special. Kat told the Wall Street Journal, "There will be some comments like, 'Well, thank God we have abortion services,' even though what I went through wasn't an abortion."
I don't care if she insists on calling the procedure any other name. The fact of the matter is Kat needed to end her pregnancy — just like so many other people do in this country, for any number of reasons — and an abortion ban interfered with her care. It's astounding to me that she's chosen to fight only for people "experiencing a miscarriage and an ectopic" like she did rather than criticizing the abortion bans themselves.
Until she decides to fight for all people's abortion rights, I find her words as outrageous and reprehensible as this administration. Do better, Kat.
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