Gus Bilirakis: “I have already quoted from the ethics portion of the American Medical Association. The American Hospital Association has…”

“I have already quoted from the ethics portion of the American Medical Association. The American Hospital Association has stated that ``A health care institution should, based on its assessment of its mission, be able to choose whether or not to perform abortions.'' The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons says, ``The Federal Government should not discriminate against medical professionals or medical institutions that follow the dictates of conscience or medical judgment.'' The American Nurses Association: ``Where nurses are placed in situations of compromise that exceed acceptable moral limits or involve violations of the moral standards of the profession, whether in direct patient care or any other form of nursing practice, they may express their conscientious objection to participation.'' All this legislation is trying to do is be consistent with all of that, and we are giving the choice and the freedom to those who have a problem with performing these types of procedures.”