4A Thursday, April 13, 2023
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
NATION
White House wants rule to protect abortion patients’ records
EVAN VUCCII Associated Press
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a meeting with a task force on reproductive
health care access, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, April 12, in
Washington.
BY AMANDA SEITZ
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The
White House on Wednesday
proposed a new federal rule
to limit how law enforce
ment and state officials col
lect medical records if they
investigate women who flee
their home states to seek
abortions elsewhere.
The proposal, prompted
by a string of blows to abor
tion across the country,
comes as the White House
is staring down a legal chal
lenge to a commonly used
abortion pill that could
upend access to the care
across the entire country
by Friday.
Vice President Kamala
Harris told reporters that
it’s one of several new
actions the administra
tion is taking to push back
against a wave of abortion
restrictions that have been
introduced since the U.S.
Supreme Court overturned
the constitutional right to
an abortion. The adminis
tration is also launching a
hotline for people to call
and ask questions about
prenatal, infant and repro
ductive care.
“The women in America
in particular have been in a
state of fear about what this
means for them, what this
means for the people they
love,” Harris said.
The White House’s pro
posed rule would prohibit
health care organizations
from sharing personal
medical records with
authorities for investiga
tions related to reproduc
tive care in states where
a woman legally obtained
an abortion. While medi
cal records are protected
by federal privacy laws,
health providers and insur
ers can be compelled to
turn over medical records
with a court order.
Doctors around the coun
try have voiced concerns
about protecting that medi
cal information from law
enforcement officials, said
Melanie Fontes Rainer,
the director of the office
of civil rights at the U.S.
Department of Health and
Human Services, which
proposed the rule change.
The public can weigh in on
the proposed rule for the
next 60 days.
“We’ve had many con
versations with providers,
major medical associa
tions and patient advocates
about what they’re seeing
on the ground and how the
federal government can be
helpful in ensuring medical
records are kept private,”
she said in a statement.
Since the U.S. Supreme
Court overturned the con
stitutional right to an abor
tion last year, some women
living in a stretch of South
ern and Midwestern states
that have largely outlawed
abortion now travel hours
to other states to get abor
tions legally.
The federal health agen
cy’s new national phone
number will provide infor
mation about prenatal,
infant and abortion care
as well as adoption, Health
and Human Services Sec
retary Xavier Becerra
announced Wednesday.
Becerra did not provide
a phone number with his
announcement.
The Biden administration
is racing to roll out these
new initiatives ahead of a
pressing deadline imposed
by a Texas judge that could
revoke the Food and Drug
Administration’s approval
of mifepristone, one of two
drugs used in what is con
sidered the most effective
and safest way to carry out
a medication abortion.
Texas Judge Matthew
Kacsmaryk’s order to pull
the drug off the market
goes into effect Friday,
unless another court steps
in. The Justice Depart
ment appealed the ruling
on Monday. There is no
precedent for a lone judge
to overrule the FDA’s medi
cal decisions
Attorney General Mer
rick Garland said Wednes
day the judge’s ruling might
embolden others to use a
similar method to chal
lenge the FDA’s approval
other medicines, drugs and
vaccines.
“This could happen to
any medication Ameri
cans rely on, no matter
how essential it is and no
matter how long ago it was
approved,” Garland said.
Pharmaceutical compa
nies filed a brief in support
of the White House’s case
on Tuesday night warning
that the ruling could have
ripple effects on life-saving
medications.
Further complicating
things for the Biden admin
istration: a competing
ruling by a federal judge
in Spokane, Washington,
issued on the same day
directed federal officials
not to hinder access to the
drug in at least 17 states
where Democrats sued to
keep the drug’s availability
intact. The issue is likely to
be decided by the Supreme
Court.
a Apartments
FOR RENT
RPC Partners
2 Bedrin. Apartments
Gainesville, Oakwood & Flowery Branch
$ 300 Move in Special
Plus Deposit
770-654-2807
NOW HIRING
Off-Road Truck Drivers, Scraper Operators,
and CDL Drivers/Heavy Equipment Operator
Competitive pay, Great Benefits
(401 k, Health Ins., Vacation)
Apply in Person
1364 Candler Rd. Gainesville, Ga 30507
Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm
770-536-4731 Ext. 1
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY AND SERVICE GUIDE
To place your company’s advertisement, call us today at
770-535-1199
North Georgia BE D S
Make your woods look like a park
Corp Approved Lake Paths and Steps • Trenching
Grading/Landscaping • Retaining Walls
Timber and Beautiful Anchor Diamond Walls
* BE AUTlf
^STAL 1 ^
SMALL JOBS O.K.
Drainage/Erosion Problems
Semi-Retired • Affordable
Mike 678-410-1375
www.ngabeds.com
Mulch • Gravel • Sand
River Rock • Fill Dirt
Top Soil • White Marble
Red Rock & More
WE DELIVER!
Customer Pick-Up is also available
We Accept All Major Credit Cards
1364 Candler Rd
Gainesville, Ga 30507
770-534-6928
770-536-4731
$ 5.00 Off
Your next order
/ ^ when you bring
— in this ad!
^Cwed and Split Firewood
rlBSIl vOQ • a FT Railroad cross ties
•TifTuf Bermuda
•Rebel Fescue
•TifBlair Centipede
•Zeon Zoysia
•Marvel Zoysia
8FT Railroad cross ties
• 8FT 6x6 Pressure Treated Posts
• 10FT 6x6 Pressure Treated Posts
• 12FT 6x6 Pressure Treated Posts
TIFTUF Rebel Kamai
Tep'SdO
divisions of GEORGIA'S FINEST PINE STRAW & MULCH
8WS
Premium
Check in Today
for our
New Specials!
Ml DIMML &M1 EMMS
Pine straw and mulch year round
■ Double Ground Hardwood Mulch Erosion control
mats and
• New Crop long needle pine straw super red s j| t f ences now
• Bag & Bulk Hardwood Mulch in available!
red, black, brown, mini pine nugget & top soil.
m ^(§xg^ wwm \m
All Varieties of Rock now Available
Sand * Rip Rap Stone 4 57 Stone • River Rock-all sizes
Field Stone • Flag Stone • River Rock Boulders
Field Stone Boulders • Ashlan • Tumbles Cobble Stone
Absolute Trailers
i
l
We Sell • We Service • We Finance
Equipment Hauling Trailers - Enclosed Cargo
Vans - Landscape Trailers - Dump Trailers
'*? -
We have full service repair shop for all types of trailers. Monday-Friday 8-5 and Saturday 8-2 pm.
Also we have a parts department for all trailer needs
Open Monday-Friday 7am-5pm & Saturday 7am-2pm
770-287-8300
2650 Browns Bridge Road * Gainesville, GA 30504 • www.georgiasfinestpinestraw.com
