I am your constituent and I am livid that the US Supreme Court has decided that the federal EMTALA, Emergency Medical and Treatment Act does not apply to pregnant persons who show up in crisis at a hospital in Texas. We have three problems here and I want you to get in gear and get them fixed.
The first is that women are not full citizens with bodily autonomy in 21 states where abortion is banned so pass the Women’s Health Protection Act and get it legalized everywhere.
Second is that the US Supreme Court has refused to enforce the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act in Texas with respect to a pregnant person in crisis - essentially allowing hospitals in that state to tell pregnant women in crisis to be ready to die and then they will think about care - if at all.
Third, we have a problem that religious hospitals are refusing to treat pregnant women who present in crisis - even in states where abortion is legal. It doesn’t go well for the women. Sepsis and the risk of death are very real for them. A woman with an unviable pregnancy in California was just turned away and was hemorrhaging (a clot the size of an apple) and given towels and a bucket and told to go away.
I mention this because states have shield laws that protect them from lawsuits if they don’t want to perform treatment that they view as objectionable.
I want you to craft and support legislation that makes EMTALA superior to ANY state law and that includes the shield laws that protect religious hospitals from saving the lives of pregnant people in crisis.
Lives are at risk every day that you don’t act - So Act. I will be watching for your response and your public statements and I will vote accordingly.
