OPINION:
Before coming to Congress, I practiced medicine for nearly 30 years and had the privilege of delivering 3,000 babies. My career as a physician was dedicated to protecting the lives of children and families while running a pro-life practice in North Texas. Never in my lifetime did I think I would see Roe v. Wade overturned, but thankfully, it happened last summer.
While reflecting on the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, I am reminded that when Roe v. Wade was originally decided in 1973, medical sonography was just beginning. Since then, it has developed into a science.
In fact, among the two generations of Americans since Roe, the first picture in their baby book is an ultrasound picture of themselves as an unborn child. Two generations of Americans have no trouble assigning agency to that pregnancy because they know from whence they came.
The question of abortion, sometimes reduced to yet another political issue to debate, is personal to me. My belief in the right to life has influenced my professional career for much longer than my time in Congress.
Not only did I have the joy of seeing these babies when they were delivered, but throughout my career, I witnessed tremendous advances in technology that allowed doctors and parents to see these children developing in the womb.
For those of us who have watched a baby squirm and kick during a sonogram, there is no question about the sanctity of life.
In my years of practicing medicine, there were times when I would need to intervene after a woman had suffered severe complications from an abortion, putting her life in danger. It was then my responsibility to save her life, which I did without hesitation.
The Dobbs decision is saving not only the lives of the unborn but also the lives of countless mothers.
Having an abortion is not a simple fix or just another form of birth control as it is continually advertised. Abortion is a highly complex and deeply emotional decision. The decision affects the woman, her unborn child, other family members, and the health care provider.
Thankfully, there is legislation, the Adoption Information Act, that seeks to provide mothers in a crisis pregnancy with another choice. Family planning centers should provide mothers with all options, not one that fits an ideology.
Adoption is a wonderful and rewarding experience, and I know so from experience.
I remain committed to protecting every unborn child’s right to life, every health care provider’s right to refuse involvement in abortion, and every taxpayer’s right to refuse federal funding of abortion.
While my work has changed through the years — I now spend late nights delivering policy rather than babies — my dedication to pro-life medicine remains steadfast.
The Constitution is clear when it guarantees the right to life, and Congress must continue to enact policies that will build up communities.
After a lifetime dedicated to pro-life work, I believe there is no question that it is the right thing to do.
• Michael Burgess is an American physician and politician representing Texas’ 26th Congressional District in the House of Representatives.
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