WYPR – 88.1 FM Baltimore reports that Maryland’s lone Republican congressman U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, who represents the first district, said he would support a national abortion ban if a fetus has a heartbeat.
If the legislation was passed by Congress, abortions after six weeks into a pregnancy would be illegal nationwide. The six week mark is often before many women know they might be pregnant.
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Joseph T Coyle, MD says
Representative Harris continues to show remarkable ignorance for a Hopkins trained physician. The “sound” ascribed to a beating heart at 6 weeks gestation heard several weeks before the heart is actually formed. This artifact does not signify viability, which occurs later at the so-called “quickening” when fetal movement is felt by the mother at about 24-26 weeks (the limit set in Roe). Alito in his historical review of abortion failed to recognize that abortion before the “quickening” was generally accepted in the 1800s.
Michael McDowell says
Well put. Harris is a frightening extremist; a religious zealot, who, despite being a physician, posits a scientifically absurd position. Good to see a fellow physician, Dr. Coyle, correct Harris’s exaggeration of known medical fact.
Gren Whitman says
Re: your headline, of course, he would.
Not news.
Reprehensible, however.
Paula Reeder says
Harris’denial of womens reproductive choice rights and his promotion of unfettered access to guns and concealed weapons are ignorant, societally irresponsible, representationally indefensible and utterly revolting positions for our elected representative of Congress to take. It’s definitely time for a change. Vote Blue in ’22