Senators Tammy Baldwin and Patty Murray, both Democrats, have put forward a bill proposing a budget of $25 million to support the education and training of new abortionists.
On Thursday, a bill known as “The Reproductive Health Care Training Act” was introduced that would “provide for the establishment of an education program to expand abortion care training and access.”
“When Roe v. Wade was overturned, women in Wisconsin were sent back to 1849, living under a criminal abortion ban. But the impact didn’t stop there. Doctors have been barred from providing the care they have been trained to perform and medical students and faculty are being forced to travel out of state for training. In order for women to exercise their right and freedom to control their bodies, doctors need the proper reproductive health care training,” Senator Baldwin said in a press release about the bill.
“The Reproductive Health Care Training Act will bolster the pipeline of these needed doctors by easing the burden that out-of-state training presents and supporting the medical programs that are seeing an influx of individuals that need training,” he added.
The legislation will prioritize awarding the grants to “minority-serving institutions or institutions that provide training to increase underrepresented minority health professions.”
“The nonstop Republican attacks on reproductive health care are having a chilling effect not only on patients seeking care, but also on the doctors and nurses who provide it. We need to make sure that health professionals in every state can receive critical training in reproductive health care—even if they have to travel to other states to get it,” Senator Murray stated.
According to the senator’s office, her state has experienced a significant influx of healthcare students from states where abortion is prohibited, seeking training opportunities.
“Funding could be used to support both medical programs with students traveling out of state, and programs in states accommodating an influx of students,” according to the press release.
“Grants would be available to accredited health professions schools, academic health centers, and other safety-net providers in all states to offset the additional costs associated with training providers in a post-Roe world. The Reproductive Health Care Training Act will help meet the current need for more women’s health care providers nationwide, especially in states with abortion restrictions.”
Senators Debbie Stabenow, Catherine Cortez-Masto, and Kyrsten Sinema are co-sponsoring the bill, while Representatives Ami Bera, Kim Schrier, and Mark Pocan have introduced companion legislation in the House.
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