Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) led 50 House Democrats in calling for lower and upper chamber appropriators to repudiate the House Republicans’ medical training policy rider.
The rider resides in the Fiscal Year 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that will “worsen maternal health outcomes” according to Rep. Castor’s press release.
Despite not receiving the necessary support to bring Republican-based philosophies surrounding abortion to the House Floor, Democrats such as Castor fear that the GOP will continue to push abortion restrictions on medical education, especially in states that have banned or restricted abortion care.
Castor and the lawmakers stated that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision has already “harmed graduate medical education” across the country.
“The Dobbs decision and subsequent abortion bans and restrictions are already harming graduate medical education and impacting the care that physicians can provide,” the lawmakers wrote. “If Congress pursues an appropriations bill that further restricts medical training, going against the evidence-based standard of care, we will see even fewer residents who are trained to handle the full range of reproductive health care.”
The legislators urged the appropriators to reject the Republican ideals in Section 541 in H.R. 5894.
“As you move forward with negotiations on the final Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, we urge you to reject Section 541 of H.R. 5894 and any other similar restrictions on graduate medical education to ensure that our communities can train and retain the caliber of physicians that patients and their families deserve,” said Rep. Castor and the lawmakers.
The letter was endorsed by Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Power to Decide, National Council of Jewish Women Inc., National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National Partnership for Women and Families, and The Century Foundation's Health Equity and Reform Team, according to the press release.
Moreover, following the conclusion of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28), Rep. Castor was optimistic following efforts from the Biden administration and America’s global partners to push for cleaner, green energy.
“It is crucial that the world move quickly to cleaner, cheaper energy to reduce pollution and help people avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis,” said Rep. Castor. “As I return from the COP28 climate conference, I am buoyed by pledges to triple renewable energy, double energy efficiency and boost the ability of communities to deal with extreme heat and weather events.”
The Florida congresswoman represents the 14 District.
