Ami Bera: “I thank my good friend from New York for his leadership on this issue. Over 26 years ago I graduated from medical school…”

“I thank my good friend from New York for his leadership on this issue. Over 26 years ago I graduated from medical school and took an oath-- an oath that hundreds of thousands of doctors have taken over the years--to do good, to do no harm, and to help our patients make the best healthcare decisions that affect their own circumstances. But this bill, Mr. Speaker, would criminalize the practice of medicine and questions doctors' judgments. This bill attempts to intimidate doctors from providing safe, evidence-based healthcare. It would set the precedent that those without medical training can make choices for patients and dictate medical practices. Why are we having politicians fill in for doctors? Get the politicians out of the delivery room and let doctors care for their patients. There is no disagreement that every baby born should receive all the medical care and treatment to survive. We are all in agreement. That is not what this bill is about. This bill is an attempt to undermine a woman's access to safe and legal reproductive health services. It is a blatant attempt to intimidate doctors from practicing the medicine that is in the best interest of their patients. That is why I, along with my colleague and fellow physician, Dr. Ruiz, attempted to offer an amendment that upholds existing law that healthcare providers must exercise the same skill, care, and diligence as they would any other child born at the same gestational age. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.…”