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HEALTH AND WELLNESS NEWS POLITICS

Christian Doctors Triumph as Federal Appeals Court Rejects Biden’s Abortion Mandate: A Victory for Medical Freedom

ByAlki David

Jan 4, 2024

A federal appeals court delivered a resounding victory to a coalition of Christian medical professionals on Tuesday, upholding their objection to guidance from the Biden administration that compelled emergency room doctors to perform abortions. The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, and the state of Texas jointly contested the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) directive, securing a significant win at the lower court. The 5th Circuit, in a unanimous decision, upheld the lower court’s ruling, as reported by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the legal representation for the association.

At the center of the dispute was the HHS’s interpretation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), which the court deemed did not mandate specific medical treatments, including abortion. The judges emphasized that EMTALA focused on preventing hospitals from denying emergency services to individuals incapable of paying and did not confer an unqualified right for pregnant mothers to seek abortions.

In response to the court’s decision, ADF Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Ryan Bangert, expressed satisfaction in a press release. Bangert emphasized the importance of upholding the Hippocratic Oath, stating, “[d]octors shouldn’t be forced to break the Hippocratic Oath, and they shouldn’t have to choose between violating their deeply held beliefs or facing stiff financial penalties and being barred from the Medicare program.”

He further clarified the distinction between emergency medical care and elective abortion, asserting that while emergency room physicians address life-threatening conditions, abortion is not categorized as life-saving care. Bangert concluded, “We are pleased that the courts are allowing emergency rooms to fulfill their primary function—saving lives.”

This verdict marks a significant win for medical freedom and religious liberty, setting a precedent against the imposition of mandates that clash with the core principles held by healthcare professionals.

By Alki David

Alki David — Publisher, Media Architect, SIN Network Creator - live, direct-to-public communication, media infrastructure, accountability journalism, and independent distribution. Born in Lagos, Nigeria; educated in the United Kingdom and Switzerland; attended the Royal College of Art. Early internet broadcaster — participated in real-time public coverage during the 1997 Mars landing era using experimental online transmission from Beverly Hills. Founder of FilmOn, one of the earliest global internet television networks offering live and on-demand broadcasting outside legacy gatekeepers. Publisher of SHOCKYA — reporting since 2010 on systemic corruption inside the entertainment business and its expansion into law, finance, and regulation. Creator of the SIN Network (ShockYA Integrated Network), a federated media and civic-information infrastructure spanning investigative journalism, live TV, documentary, and court-record reporting. Lived and worked for over 40 years inside global media hubs including Malibu, Beverly Hills, London, Hong Kong and Gstaad. Early encounter with Julian Assange during the first Hologram USA operations proved a formative turning point — exposing the realities of lawfare, information suppression, and concentrated media power. Principal complainant and driving force behind what court filings describe as the largest consolidated media–legal accountability action on record, now before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Relocated to Antigua & Barbuda and entered sustained legal, civic, and informational confrontation over media power, safeguarding, and accountability at Commonwealth scale.