Ami Bera: “As a doctor, I find these bills troubling. The oath I took is to do what is best for my patients. One of these bills…”

“As a doctor, I find these bills troubling. The oath I took is to do what is best for my patients. One of these bills that is coming up today criminalizes the practice of medicine and questions doctors' judgments. It attempts to intimidate doctors from providing safe, evidence-based medicine and from doing our job, which is to sit with our patients, answer their questions, and give them the best medical advice and let them make the decisions that affect their lives. This is unprecedented. It sets a precedent where those without any medical training can dictate medical practice and make choices for patients. This definitely oversteps any legal bounds. These are choices that should be made between doctors and patients. Congressional interference into how we practice is overreach. It is a dramatic overreach, and it is dangerous because it sets a dangerous legislative precedent. What makes the healthcare delivery system in America so great is that it is accessible to folks and that we understand and protect the doctor-patient privilege. That is at the very foundation of the oath we take when we enter the profession of medicine. Now, the other bill that we are voting on today also dramatically restricts access. If you think about the number of women in America who get their care from Planned Parenthood, the preventive health services that Planned Parenthood provides is remarkable. One in five women in this country have used a Planned Parenthood facility.…”