OPINION: Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s votes put doctors in an impossible position

Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s voting record makes it clear that he prioritizes extreme ideology over the health and well-being of our community.

As an OB-GYN with over 30 years of experience, I have seen firsthand how political decisions in Washington can directly impact patient care. Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s voting record on reproductive health is deeply concerning, not just to me as a physician but to the health and safety of patients in Tucson and beyond.

In his first few weeks in Congress, Rep. Ciscomani voted for anti-choice legislation that would severely limit access to health care and potentially criminalize doctors for simply doing their jobs. It puts health-care providers like me in impossible situations—forcing us to choose between following the law and offering life-saving care to our patients.

Rep. Ciscomani is part of the Republican Study Committee, which has endorsed the Life at Conception Act, a total abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or even when the woman’s life is at risk. This extreme bill could even ban access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), affecting countless families trying to conceive. These policies are not just theoretical—they could have devastating, real-world consequences.

I’ve cared for patients in desperate situations—where access to abortion care was the only option to save their lives or protect their health. Forcing doctors to turn patients away or delaying care until a life-threatening condition escalates isn’t just unethical—it’s dangerous.

Rep. Ciscomani’s voting record makes it clear that he prioritizes extreme ideology over the health and well-being of our community. Tucson deserves better. Our medical professionals deserve the freedom to provide the best possible care without fear of prosecution, and our patients deserve access to safe, compassionate healthcare.

READ MORE: Kirsten Engel accuses Rep. Ciscomani of taking Arizona back to 1860s on more than abortion rights

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