Politics

Crisis Response Plan Calls For Expanded Benefits For Pregnant Mothers To Ward Off Abortions

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A coronavirus crisis response plan outlines expanded benefits for pregnant mothers who might otherwise be forced to obtain an abortion during the pandemic.

The Americans United for Life (AUL) crisis response plan, first provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation, proposes that Congress expand benefits for mothers and their children. The plan specifically proposes expanding benefits for mothers who are pregnant. In the case that the next stimulus bill includes a certain amount of money per child for families with children, a pregnant woman would also be allocated that money.

The measure is intended to provide pregnant women who might be suffering extra economic hardships during the coronavirus outbreak with more options than simply abortion.

“Mothers and their children deserve special attention, whether a mother is caring for her teenager, her toddler, or her child in utero,” the plan read. “We recognize that, especially in this unprecedented time in the life of our nation, the first nine months of a child’s life are among the most vulnerable and uncertain, and these special months for both mother and child mean that America has an even greater responsibility to provide life-affirming support.”

It also stated: “Every mother who might otherwise feel pressured to consider abortion should be empowered to make the choice for life, and Congressional relief can play a key role in encouraging life-affirming outcomes throughout this season of time.”

“Effectively responding” to the coronavirus threat should be the United States’ national medical priority, AUL stated, emphasizing that during this time, abortionists should not receive special treatment or be allotted personal protective equipment that could be used to fight the novel disease.

This aspect of AUL’s plan has been hotly debated throughout the United States during the pandemic: As states ban elective medical procedures throughout the country, some governors declare abortions to be essential procedures while others, like Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have temporarily banned abortions during the pandemic.

AUL also proposed that the United States disavow “quality adjusted life years” decisions, noting that in other “certain nations have based their allocation of scarce medical resources, such as ventilators, on how many ‘quality adjusted life years’ (QALYs) a patient may have left.”

QALY is not an objective medical standard, the plan noted — “rather it is inherently subjective” — and added that denying lifesaving medical care in such a way reflects eugenic attitudes.

The pro-life organization has put its weight behind more than 400 pro-life bills introduced in 41 states in recent years, as noted by USA Today, AUL president and CEO Catherine Glenn Foster said in a statement to the DCNF.

“Americans United for Life will continue to equip lawmakers with common-sense measures that ensure that Americans are better protected from life-threatening realities, including new model law addressing the ethical and legal threats to human life that have arisen against the backdrop of this pandemic,” Foster said.

She added: “While we are working to protect all Americans from future crises, we recognize the urgent importance of calling Americans to unity at this fragile moment in the life of our great nation. Too often in times of crisis, those who are already marginalized based on their life circumstance or due to inherent characteristics like age, disability, or race find themselves tragically targeted to an even greater extent. We cannot let that continue to occur.”