Alabama’s U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) is leading a Senate GOP push to flip federal residency standards on abortion training, making participation “opt-in” instead of “opt-out” as the default.
Britt, who is a strong pro-life advocate in Congress, joined many of her colleagues in the Senate to introduce the Conscience Protections for Medical Residents Act, which stablishes clear federal protections, so residents are not forced to choose between their moral or religious beliefs and their careers.
“There should never be an instance where a medical student or resident is forced to choose between their deeply held moral or religious convictions and their careers,” Britt said. “Our legislation simply lets residents opt in, rather than be forced to opt out, of training that violates their consciences.”
Under current rules from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, residents are allowed to opt out of abortion training, but the opt-out system puts pressure on trainees to participate in procedures that violate their moral or religious beliefs. Residents often fear that opting out could affect evaluations, recommendations, or future career opportunities.
