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| California Attorney General Xavier Becerra photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr |
Stanton Healthcare, which has a branch in southern California, has dealt with Xavier Becerra during his time as Attorney General for the state. Becerra attempted to compel pro-life pregnancy centers to refer patients to abortion clinics using the force of law. In NIFLA v. Becerra, the Supreme Court ruled that this kind of compelled speech violated the rights of pro-life pregnancy centers, but a "packed" court could potentially change this stance. The original vote only protected the rights of pro-life clinics by a 5-4 vote.
In a statement from Stanton Healthcare, Swindell said:
"AG Becerra has a track record of working against life-affirming women's medical clinics like Stanton. How do we judge future behavior? By past behavior.
"If he is confirmed, it will be a nightmare for women's health. We strongly urge the Senate to oppose the confirmation of AG Becerra and to do everything within their power to protect pregnancy centers and clinics.
"I want to make it clear as the Founder and CEO of Stanton Healthcare: if Becerra becomes the HHS Secretary, our Stanton Healthcare clinics will never refer for abortions regardless of any mandates set forth by HHS. We will not comply. We would risk arrest, jail time, and fines to defend our right to provide quality compassionate, medically-accurate care to the clientele we serve. And we encourage pregnancy centers and clinics across the nation to refuse to be intimidated into compliance with abortion referrals. Now is the time for us to fight and stand like never before."
