A bill introduced by two Democratic female senators seeks to allocate millions of dollars in federal funds to educate and train health care workers to perform abortions.
The bill would allocate $25 million over five years to various teaching programs that will aim to "expand and support the training of students, residents or advanced practice physicians in a covered state that allows for comprehensive training in abortion care."
Provide for the establishment of an education program to expand abortion care training and access. Preparing and encouraging each student, resident, and advanced practice clinician training in a covered State to serve as an abortion provider after completing such training.
Reproductive Health Care Tr... by Verónica Silveri
Democrats Tammy Baldwin and Patty Murray, the bill's sponsors, claim that federal funds would also be used to fight against "the challenges to accessing abortion care including the needs of racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, Tribal and medically underserved communities."
In addition, grants from federal funds will also be used to provide scholarships to medical students or health professionals seeking abortion training "with a focus on medically underserved communities."
A bill supported by Planned Parenthood
The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Debbie Stabenow, Catherine Cortez-Masto, Elizabeth Warren and Kyrsten Sinema. In addition, it is supported by pro-abortion organizations such as Planned Parenthood.
Murray said in a statement that the bill would "help meet the current need for more women's health care providers nationwide, especially in states with abortion restrictions."
Baldwin said the funds will support all students and health care professionals who "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 care (...) 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 medical programs that are seeing an influx of individuals that need training.
