'If I can't perform abortions ... I will not stay in Wisconsin': Med student who seems to back full-term abortions sounds off



A student from the Medical College of Wisconsin who apparently supports full-term abortions said during a public hearing that if she can't get abortion training in the state and if she can't perform abortions in the state, then she would leave Wisconsin.

What are the details?

Madalynn Welch told Wisconsin lawmakers Monday that a proposed state ban on abortions after 14 weeks would discourage people from becoming licensed OB-GYN practitioners in Wisconsin, Fox News reported.

"I think abortion should be unrestrictive," Welch said, according to the cable news network. "And I think when somebody finds out in pregnancy when — or how far along that they are when someone finds out, they should be able to get an abortion if they want to. And for some people, that is full term."

Following her "full term" utterance, a number of people in the room appeared to express audible discomfort.

After a cut in the video, the student added that "if I can't get abortion training here, if I can't perform abortions in my career, I will not stay in Wisconsin. And a lot of my colleagues who are on the same track agree."

— (@)

Fox News said Welch and the Medical College of Wisconsin did not return its request for comment.

How are folks reacting?

Quite a few social media commenters were outraged by the student's opinions on abortion:

"She just said she would abort a FULL TERM fully developed human baby. A baby that can absolutely live outside of the mothers womb. A baby deserving of life. SICK," activist Scarlett Johnson wrote. "I am ashamed for her. If that isn’t murder, what is? I pray she leaves Wisconsin and never comes back."

"She is admitting, and proud of it, that she would commit infanticide. Murder," another commenter stated. "She needs to be permanently barred from practicing medicine everywhere. Unspeakable evil."

"Spooky. Has she ever held a newborn? How can you look at a baby and think it is okay to cut its spinal cord and dismember it right before it was born?" another user asked. "Babies are a blessing. We need to stop treating them like they are a curse."

"She distills her entire medical calling to being able to murder at will," another commenter said. "Absolutely fallen world we live in."

(H/T: Not the Bee)

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Biden says the Catholic Church wouldn't agree with Lindsey Graham's abortion bill



On September 13, Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham (S.C.) introduced a bill entitled "Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act." The proposed bill would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.

This week, President Joe Biden, the second self-declared Catholic president in U.S. history, discussed Graham's bill when speaking to a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in New York. He said, "I happen to be a practicing Roman Catholic. ... My church doesn't even make that argument now."

The claim that pro-abortion policies comport with church teaching or that the act itself is regarded as permissible by the church, though both have been repeated by other Democrat politicians and are potentially politically expedient, is wrong, at least according to the pope and the church.

Not according to the pope

Earlier this summer, Pope Francis referred to Biden's support for abortion as "incoherent." Referring to an unborn baby, the pope said, "There is human life. Is it fair to eliminate a human life?"

In 2018, Pope Francis answered in the negative, claiming it is wrong to take a human life, regardless of what age or stage of development it is in. "Getting rid of a human being is like resorting to a contract killer to solve a problem."

The pope added, "How can an act that suppresses an innocent and helpless life as it blossoms be therapeutic, civil or, simply, humane?"

Pope John Paul II, recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2014, condemned abortion and euthanasia as moral "crimes," which he suggested had been misconstrued as individual rights in a growing "culture of death."

Building on his predecessor's thematics, Pope Francis has since criticized a "culture of indifference and waste" and urged families not to allow themselves "to be poisoned by the toxins of selfishness."

"We are victims of the throwaway culture. ... Today [abortion] has become a 'normal' thing," he said in an address on September 27, 2021, "a habit that is very bad; it is truly murder."

This summer, the pope told Reuters that he respects the Supreme Court's June 24 ruling, which overturned Roe v. Wade. While admitting he did not understand the full legal significance of the court's ruling from a "technical point of view," he emphasized that abortion "is a problem."

He suggested that the science is clear. "Science today and any book on embryology ... tells you that 30 days after conception there is DNA and the laying out already of all the organs. ... It's a human life — that's science. The moral question is whether it is right to take a human life to solve a problem."

While aboard the papal airplane on September 15, Pope Francis said, "It is true that the West degenerates. ... The West has taken the wrong paths." Contrary to Biden's suggestion, the Roman pontiff stated, "If you kill — with motivation, yes — in the end you will kill more. It’s not human. Let’s leave killing to the animals."

Not according to the Catholic Church

"The Catechism of the Catholic Church" is an official document that summarizes the main beliefs of the Catholic Church. It indicates the church's explicit condemnation of abortion along with its procurement, its provision, and its support. Furthermore, it indicates that those who formally cooperate in an abortion are excommunicated and thereby cut off of from the church.

With scriptural and theological reasons and corroborates also provided, the catechism states the following :

  • "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception" (2270);
  • "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law" (2271);
  • "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life" (2272);
  • "The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin" (2273); and
  • "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being" (2274).

According to its catechism, the Catholic Church not only condemns abortion of the kind Graham's bill seeks to ban, but would similarly support the prohibition of abortions before 15 weeks, including the killing of embryos.

American bishops speak out

After the Dobbs decision, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore issued a statement saying, "In response to the Dobbs decision, I called for the healing of wounds and repairing of social divisions ... and for coming together to build a society and economy that supports marriages and families, and where every woman has the support and resources she needs to bring her child into this world in love."

\u201cBishop Chairman Responds to Executive Order on Abortion Access | Background resources and full statement by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore here: https://t.co/YcNdUXg7dX\u201d
— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (@U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) 1657399465

Furthermore, he said, "It is deeply disturbing and tragic that President Biden is choosing instead to use his power as President of the United States to promote and facilitate abortion in our country, seeking every possible avenue to deny unborn children their most basic human and civil right, the right to life."

Archbishop Lori said that after the Dobbs ruling, Biden sought to use "the power of the executive branch ... to facilitate the destruction of defenseless, voiceless human beings."

In August, responding to Biden's executive order facilitating abortion, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities stated: "Continued promotion of abortion takes lives and irreparably harms vulnerable pregnant mothers, their families, and society. It is the wrong direction to take at a moment when we should be working to support women and to build up a culture of life.

In 2008, then-Vice President Joe Biden was similarly called out by Bishop Joseph Martino (now bishop emeritus). "I cannot have a vice president-elect coming to Scranton to say he's learned his values there when those values are utterly against the teachings of the Catholic Church."

At the time, Kansas City's Archbishop Joseph Naumann said of self-declared Catholic politicians who support abortion: "They cannot call themselves Catholics when they violate such a core belief as the dignity of the unborn."

Graham's bill

According to Graham, by adopting his bill, "We would be in the mainstream of most everyone else in the world. ... There are 47 of 50 European countries that have banned abortion from 12 to 15 weeks."

Graham explained the significance of the 15-week mark. Besides the fact that over 90% of abortions in the U.S. are executed before 15 weeks, it is at that point in a pregnancy that "science tells us" that unborn babies have the requisite nerve endings to feel pain.

He asked, "If you need to provide anesthesia to keep the baby from feeling pain to help save its life, should we as a nation be aborting babies that can feel excruciating pain from an abortion?"

Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, claimed, "Politicians voting against this bill will stand against science and the American public, not to mention compassion for women and babies."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another self-declared Catholic who has suggested it is "sinful" to restrict abortion, suggested that Graham's bill is the product of "those in the party that think life begins at a candlelight dinner the night before," those she would also refer to as "extreme MAGA Republicans."

The bill, as proposed, would, among other things, eliminate "particularly gruesome or barbaric medical procedures," preserve "the integrity of the medical profession," and mitigate fetal pain.

Senate Democrats prioritize radical abortion bill over aid for Ukraine



The United States Senate has returned from recess, and the first major item on the legislative agenda is not humanitarian and security aid for Ukraine's war against Russian invaders. Instead, Democratic leadership has scheduled a procedural vote for a radical abortion bill that would essentially codify Roe v. Wade into federal law.

Democrats will attempt to advance the Women's Health Protection Act Monday, a bill that advocates say will enshrine the right to an abortion into United States law and protect abortion rights in case the Supreme Court overturns Roe later this year.

Pro-life activists warn the bill would severely undermine state laws to protect pre-born children and prevent pro-life legislation from being passed in the future.

The Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to abortion in its 1973 decision in Roe. In addition to establishing a statutory right to an abortion, the Women's Health Protection Act would erase "medically unnecessary restrictions, limitations, and bans that delay, and at times, completely obstruct, access to abortion," according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.

State laws banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, 20-week bans, mandatory ultrasounds, waiting periods, and requirements that women seek counseling before obtaining an abortion would be struck down if the bill were enacted into federal law.

The legislation is co-sponsored by 48 Senate Democrats. President Joe Biden also supports the bill, which would fulfill his campaign promise to "pass legislation making Roe the law of the land." The Democratic majority in the House of Representatives passed the bill in the fall, but it is not expected to pass the Senate, where Democrats do not have enough support to meet the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster.

Given the reality of an evenly split Senate, the decision to bring up the Women's Health Protection Act for a procedural vote today is largely symbolic, and even advocates are admitting as much.

"I think it's going to be very important that the senators are on the record," said Nancy Northup, the CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, in an interview with Reuters. Knowing the bill won't pass, she said the vote itself will be a win for abortion rights, adding, "The voters can judge them on that record when they make their decisions at the polls."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a pro-choice Republican, criticized Democrats for bringing the bill up for a vote Monday instead of considering an aid package for Ukraine requested by the White House on Friday,

"The Senate must focus on that growing crisis as we return to session tomorrow. A substantial and bipartisan package with aid for Ukraine and penalties for Russia cannot wait," Murkowski tweeted late Sunday.

"The measures currently on the Senate’s schedule – the Women’s Health Protection Act and a postal reform bill – are important issues. But WHPA lacks the votes to proceed and is set up to fail, so we should work to find a path that actually protects women’s right to choose," she said.

The measures currently on the Senate\u2019s schedule \u2013 the Women\u2019s Health Protection Act and a postal reform bill \u2013 are important issues. But WHPA lacks the votes to proceed and is set up to fail, so we should work to find a path that actually protects women\u2019s right to choose.
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@Sen. Lisa Murkowski) 1646032518

She concluded: "The world is watching. The Senate must agree on a package with humanitarian and defense aid for @Ukraine, while imposing sweeping sanctions and penalties on Russia—including strict embargoes on their energy and seafood. Countless lives and a budding democracy are at stake."

The White House on Friday asked Congress to approve a $6.4 billion aid package for Ukraine, including $2.9 billion in security and humanitarian assistance and $3.5 billion for the Department of Defense.

Tennessee bill would grant biological fathers veto power over abortion



Tennessee lawmakers have proposed a bill that would enable a biological father to stop a woman from getting an abortion.

Republican state Sen. Mark Pody introduced SB0494 on Feb. 8 that calls for:

As introduced, permits a person to petition a court for an injunction to prohibit a woman who is pregnant with the person's unborn child from obtaining an abortion; requires the petitioner to execute a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity that is not subject to being rescinded or challenged.

Once the injunction is issued, the court must hold a hearing with both parties within 14 days, The Hill reported. Should the woman violate the injunction and get an abortion, "The court may hold the respondent in civil or criminal contempt and punish the respondent in accordance with the law."

"The voluntary acknowledgement of paternity may be executed without the signature of the child's mother," the bill states. "The voluntary acknowledgement of paternity must be proven by filing a certified copy with the court."

A judge could grant the petition as long as the petitioner proves he's the biological father of an unborn child and there is a "reasonable possibility" that the woman would seek an abortion, according to USA Today.

The alleged father does not need to "provide DNA evidence to prove that the petitioner is the biological father of the respondent's unborn child," according to the bill.

"If the woman acknowledges the petitioner's fatherhood, no DNA evidence would be required," Pody said.

Pody noted that any man who claims to be the father would then be responsible for child support and other parental obligations. The man would not be able to rescind or challenge the paternity of the child after the birth of the child.

"He can't turn around under any circumstance and say, 'I was wrong, and it's not mine,'" Pody explained.

The bill makes no exception for rape or incest.

The Senate bill was passed on second consideration on Feb. 11, and has since been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Republican state Rep. Jerry Sexton sponsored the bill in the House, where it passed first consideration.

If the bills are passed and approved, the legislation would take effect on July 1.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed a heartbeat bill into law last July that banned abortions at the detection of a heartbeat. Lee called signing the new law a "historic moment," adding that the legislation is "arguably the most conservative, pro-life legislation in the country."

"It's our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in our community," Lee said at the time. "Certainly the most vulnerable in Tennessee includes the unborn, which is why with the signature of this bill, Tennessee is one of the most pro-life states in America."

During his 2021 State of the State address, Lee said, "You already know that I am strongly pro-life, and I will continue to defend this position."