Trump Admin Sides With Nurses Who Object to Abortion

Under Donald Trump, departments across the executive branch have madereligious freedom a clear priority, and nowhere has that agenda been more prominent than at the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS. This morning, HHS officials will announce a new notice of violation, alleging that a major university medical center in Vermont forced a nurse to violate her conscience by assisting with an abortion.

The nurse, who is Catholic and works at the University of Vermont Medical Center, or UVMMC, had made it clear to her employer: She did not want to participate in abortion procedures for reasons of conscience. According to a complaint filed in May 2018 and a subsequent investigation, her wishes were not honored. After being told that she would be treating a patient who had experienced a miscarriage, she discovered that she had actually been scheduled to help with an elective abortion.