Politics

Planned Parenthood, 2020 Democrats Incensed As Missouri’s Only Abortion Clinic May Close

Screenshot/ YouTube/ Students for Life

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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Abortion provider Planned Parenthood announced a lawsuit Tuesday against the state of Missouri, following news that the state’s only abortion clinic could be shut down.

Just days after Missouri legislators passed a ban on abortions later than eight weeks of gestation, Planned Parenthood announced that the St. Louis clinic — the only abortion provider remaining in the entire state — would likely shut down.

The Missouri Department of Health and Human Services notified Planned Parenthood that there were several issues concerning the clinic that needed to be addressed before the state would renew the clinic’s license to operate, according to a report from CBS News.

On May 22, Planned Parenthood said it would address two of them: adjusting who at the clinic provided the state-mandated counseling and adding an additional pelvic exam for abortion patients.

The third issue, what the state called “deficient practices,” potentially involved physicians who were providing care at the clinic. The state requested interviews with all seven physicians who treated patients at the clinic, but five of the seven were residents who were not actually employed by Planned Parenthood and declined to be interviewed.

The Health Department responded in a letter, explaining that without the interviews, the investigation could not be completed — and without a completed investigation, the license could not be renewed.

Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen noted that, if the clinic closed, it would be the first time that any state had no access to abortion services. (RELATED: Does Protesting Planned Parenthood Make You A Racist?)

And it wasn’t long before a number of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates began to weigh in on the topic.

Even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented on the issue, saying, “We are at a fork in the road for reproductive rights in America.”

If Planned Parenthood does not reach an agreement with the Missouri Health Department, the St. Louis Planned Parenthood clinic will be forced to shut down as of May 31.

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