David Weldon: “It has been fascinating to listen to the debate on the other side on this bill. This issue began in 1996 when some of…”

“It has been fascinating to listen to the debate on the other side on this bill. This issue began in 1996 when some of the residency training programs were moving in a direction to require that to be certified and eligible to obtain one's license and specialty, such as OB/GYN, one could be forced to receive training in performing abortions. The Congress has a long-established track record of supporting the rights of conscience on this very, very controversial issue. There are many, many Americans, including many physicians, who feel as I do that abortion is morally wrong, that it is killing the unborn, and that nobody should be forced to learn how to do an abortion if they do not want to do it, and, importantly, no health care entity should be forced to perform abortions. The original statute that was enacted over the signature of Bill Clinton was language that was actually put forward in the Senate by Senators Coates and Snow. I will point out that she is pro-choice, and she stated at the time that she wanted to protect the rights of conscience, that people who feel strongly that abortion is killing should not be forced to have to do it.”