By: Maria Mendez
Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups say state leaders, who are beginning to reopen the economy, had a legitimate interest in protecting public health.
“We’re really grateful to the governor for issuing these executive orders that have been intended to protect the public and the medical providers serving the public,” said Joe Pojman, executive director of the Texas Alliance For Life.
By: Catholic News Agency
In an April 24 video, Texas Alliance for Life director Joe Pojman praised the ay on elective surgeries as “decisive action” to ay the spread of the coronavirus and part of “a strategy that has worked.”
Pojman cited Texas’ relatively low COVID-19 rates compared to large states and its hospitals’ continued capacity to treat patients.
As of Friday afternoon, there were over 22,800 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Texas, including over 590 deaths. About 9,000 people are estimated to have recovered, statistics from the Texas Department of Health said.
“We believe Gov. Abbott’s actions have protected the public and especially health care workers from the coronavirus,” Pojman said. He stressed the importance of Fifth Circuit Court’s order to “ay all abortions, surgical and drug induced, except for the handful that would not be possible to ay.”
“Meanwhile many abortion providers appeared to violate that order and performed a number of abortions across Texas, when those should have been ayed,” Pojman added. “We are addressing that issue now.”
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday on the court’s ruling.
Texas Alliance for Life issued a written statement calling on abortion providers to follow the original order to free up doctors and supplies.
“The most recent order fails to recognize the danger abortion providers pose to the public by refusing to comply with Governor Abbott’s executive order in the same way other providers of non-immediately medically necessary surgeries and procedures have done,” said Texas Alliance for Life Executive Director Joe Pojman.
By: Sabrina Tavernise
Joe Pojman, who heads the Texas Alliance for Life, said in an e that “abortion providers should not get special treatment that puts health care providers fighting Covid-19 and their patients at unnecessary risk.”
Getting an abortion, not easy in many states under ordinary circumstances, has become even harder in recent weeks.
But the clinics, and much of the medical community, say that abortion is time-sensitive and that it could be months before emergency measures are lifted.
By: Sami Sparber
In an interview on Friday with the executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, Paxton said he found it “a little shocking” that abortion providers were continuing with their suit against the state.
“This is the only group of doctors and providers that have fought it,” Paxton said. “They’re not getting treated any differently. I will admit this is very inconvenient, it’s not easy for anybody, but they’re saying no, we’re special, we don’t need to be treated like everybody else, we should be treated better.”
By: Mary Margaret Olohan
The pro-life Texas Alliance for Life (TAL) applauded the decision and Paxton’s “prompt actions” in defense of Abbott’s order.
“We are very pleased with the decision of the 5th Circuit to allow Governor Abbott’s order to stand as applicable to abortion facilities just as it stands for other medical facilities,” TAL executive director Joe Pojman, Ph.D. said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“How many doctors and nurses have to become infected and possibly die before Planned Parenthood, Whole Woman’s Health, and other abortion facilities in Texas realize that they need to comply with the executive order, just like everyone else?” he asked.