GOP congressmen call out American College of OB-GYNs banning pro-life doctors from conference
Members of Congress threaten 'taking ACOG to task' over controversy unless they reverse move against pro-life doctors
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A group of four Republican lawmakers are urging members of Congress not to meet with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) after the group banned pro-life medical professionals from an event.
GOP Reps. Chris Smith of New Jersey, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, Chip Roy of Texas and Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee called out ACOG in a formal letter Friday after the organization barred a group of pro-life doctors from setting up a booth at their annual conference this week.
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OB-GYNS BANS PRO-LIFE DOCTORS FROM CONFERENCE: 'VAGUE EXPLANATION'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The reported decision by ACOG — an organization purporting to represent all obstetrician–gynecologists — to exclude qualified health care professionals of maternal and child care from presenting at an annual conference because of their pro-life positions is hypocritical and outrageous," the representatives wrote.
The banned organization — the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists — had been permitted to host a booth at the conference for 15 years prior to the incident.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pro-life demonstrators and clinic escorts stand in front of the EMW Womens Surgical Center, an abortion clinic, on May 8, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
The doctors did not find out their booth was canceled by the host until they arrived in Maryland, where the conference was held.
"ACOG makes no secret of its extreme abortion agenda," the GOP representatives continued in their letter. "Its detailed pro-abortion lobbying instructions to ACOG members, its ‘language guide’ touting euphemisms that hide the realities of abortion, and its stated intent to ‘increase the availability of trained abortion providers’ are just a few examples of its active and deliberate work to promote abortion on demand and spread misinformation about the pro-life movement."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The four lawmakers threatened "taking ACOG to task" in the House — and called on other members of Congress to refuse meeting with ACOG until the matter is addressed.
The letter concluded, "As Members of Congress, we call on ACOG to end its discrimination against pro-life doctors, and we will press for immediate changes to this unacceptable behavior—whether that means taking ACOG to task in meetings or refusing meetings until they change course—and encourage other Members to do the same."