On the recordJuly 13, 2016
I include in the Record the testimony from Honorable Dr. Dave Weldon, author of the Weldon amendment, on this very bill and a few letters I received from obstetricians and gynecologists from across the country. Statement by the Hon. Dave Weldon, MD, Retired FL-15 Congressional Forum on Conscience Rights, July 8, 2016 Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this important issue. The stories shared today by the people around this table underscore the very reason I authored the Weldon amendment. You can imagine my outrage to learn that this administration has gutted my amendment and is allowing ongoing discrimination in California. Over a decade ago, I became aware of the Maryland NARAL Hospital Provider Project. This disturbing initiative was designed to force abortion into every hospital in Maryland. In response to this and similar threats, I drafted my appropriations amendment. It is intended to bring a stop to the abortion industry crusade to force this gruesome procedure into every aspect of society. Recognizing that the abortion lobby's relentless campaign knows no limits, we drafted the amendment to cover a wide universe of entities. Nurses, doctors, hospitals, even health plans themselves are covered entities under my amendment. Covering individual health plans ensures that insurance companies that are ambivalent about abortion can still offer plans that exclude abortion to meet the needs of purchasers.…





