Sen. Lankford Introducing Legislation Against Declaring Abortions As Federal Health Emergency

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined a dozen other Republican senators this week in introducing legislation that would prevent the president from helping women retain access to abortion services by declaring a health emergency.

In the wake of last month’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion services in many states, including Oklahoma, have been severely, if not completely, curtailed.

Many Democrats are urging President Biden to declare a national health emergency, making federal dollars potentially available to help women travel to states where abortion remains legal, as well as, to expand services in those places.

The president has given no indication whether he plans to pursue this strategy or not. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, at a recent news conference, said "all options are on the table."

However, Sen. Lankford and others want to make sure that declaring a health emergency to facilitate abortion is not even an option.

“The Prohibiting Federal Emergencies for Abortion Act,” reads the release issued Tuesday by Lankford’s press office, would “prohibit the Biden Administration and any future Administration from declaring a federal emergency to expand abortion services.”

“The Biden Administration is obsessed with increasing abortion in America,” a statement from Sen. Lankford read. “Now they are even considering using a ‘public health emergency’ as an excuse to provide unlimited abortions now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe. Even the notion of this is ridiculous. This bill reminds all of us that public health emergencies are designed to save life, not take life. Clearly the Biden Administration will stop at nothing to promote abortions.”

Another co-sponsor, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), added, “President Biden and Democrats are hell-bent on preserving the practice of murdering unborn Americans. We should be protecting the lives of innocent babies, not Planned Parenthood’s ability to kill them.”

According to documents, the bill would "prohibit the President from declaring a national emergency under the Stafford Act to promote, support, or expand access to abortion or go after states that prohibit or otherwise restrict abortion."

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the legislation won’t go anywhere this Congress with Democrats controlling the agenda. Depending on what happens in November, however, it could get broader consideration next year.