By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
A group of sixteen Pennsylvania state Senators have sent a letter to Governor Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Rachel Levine, calling on them to force Planned Parenthood to cease performing elective abortions during the Coronavirus outbreak.
The Senate letter follows a similar letter to the Governor signed by 55 Pennsylvania House members.
The Senators, including Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati (R ), issued this appeal to the Governor and Health Department chief:
“We request that the appropriate actions be taken immediately to ensure no persons, patients or healthcare professionals, are unnecessarily placed at risk for contracting COVID19, due to the irresponsible actions of Planned Parenthood. We ask that you please notify ambulatory surgery providers that they must cease surgical abortions during this healthcare crisis.”
The letter states that the Senators have been notified that facilities operated by Planned Parenthood Keystone continue to perform abortions “in direct violation of the business closure orders issued” by both the Governor and the Health Secretary. Indeed, Planned Parenthood’s own website indicated there were a half-dozen facilities open for “abortion services only.”
On March 19th, Governor Wolf issued an order shutting down all businesses not considered life-sustaining. The Department of Health further stated that ambulatory surgical facilities “may not perform any elective procedures unless the surgery or procedures are life-sustaining measures relating to a progressive disease, such as cancer, vascular disease or organ failure.”
In their letter to the Governor and Health Secretary, the sixteen Senators write, “Just as you have asked us to work together to get through this pandemic, we ask that you follow through on your orders as well, and there should be no exception for any ambulatory surgical facility to perform any procedure, other than what has been outlined in the Department of Health’s guidance.”
Action Item: Please call and email your state Senator in the Pennsylvania Senate and let him or her know that abortions should not be permitted in Pennsylvania during the Coronavirus outbreak. If you do not know who your state Senator is, or you need contact information, click here.