Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), a former Planned Parenthood executive, is proudly defending her vote against a bill that would protect babies who survive botched abortions.
“Colleagues, that’s what this bill does. It would give the politicians in this room the power to make medical decisions for women and their families. This bill intimidates providers and forces physicians to provide inappropriate medical treatment, even when it’s not in the best interest of the patient or her family,” Smith said during a Senate floor debate Monday.
Lawmakers shouldn't dictate what doctors can or cannot do to deliver the best medical care for women. We need to continue to trust women & their doctors. I took to the Senate floor today to talk about this, & I will continue to make my voice heard for women in MN and our nation. pic.twitter.com/9bwJYRBoyT
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 25, 2019
She went on to argue that the bill, if passed, would “put doctors in an untenable position” of being forced to decide between following “the law” or their “code of professional ethics.”
“Colleagues, let’s get out of the business of dictating medical care for women. Let’s continue to trust women and their doctors,” she concluded.
Smith later took to Twitter to defend her vote against the bill, which was also voted against by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
“We don’t tell oncologists how to treat their patients. We don’t tell ER doctors how to save lives. And we shouldn’t tell doctors how to take care of their patients’ reproductive health,” Smith wrote. “Providers must be able to provide the best care for their patient—and that comes from trusting patients and their doctors.”
We don’t tell oncologists how to treat their patients.
We don’t tell ER doctors how to save lives.
And we shouldn’t tell doctors how to take care of their patients’ reproductive health.
— Tina Smith (@TinaSmithMN) February 26, 2019
As The Minnesota Sun previously reported, Smith spent years as an abortion lobbyist fighting against pro-life legislation throughout the Midwest before entering politics. From 2003 to 2006, she served as Planned Parenthood’s vice president for external affairs for Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota, and is currently the only U.S. Senator to have previously worked for Planned Parenthood.
In her role with the abortion giant, Smith testified against Minnesota’s “Positive Alternatives Act,” which provides nonprofit agencies with state grants to help women who carry their pregnancies to term, as well as the “Women’s Right to Know” law, which requires women seeking abortions to be provided with information on the “medical risks” associated with procedure.
On the campaign trail, Smith was joined by former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards for several events. During her 2018 campaign, Smith received $9,999 in donations from Planned Parenthood, and has received $16,199 in donations from the organization overall, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
“The extremism and inhumanity of the position taken by Klobuchar and Smith can’t be overstated,” Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Executive Director Scott Fischbach said in a press release. “We’re talking about infants who are alive and outside of their mother’s body. They are vulnerable and helpless and in need of basic care and protection. Klobuchar and Smith voted to deny them that care.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Tina Smith” by Tina Smith.
