Senator Ashley Moody has linked arms with Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and several colleagues in a call to action, urging Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz for regulatory change. In a letter, detailed on Moody's official website, they push for rules that would safeguard the conscience rights of medical residents in graduate medical programs. The growing concern is that current policies are compelling residents to partake in procedures, like induced abortions, that might clash with their moral or religious beliefs.
Under the spotlight is a final rule published by HHS-CMS on November 25, which is set to take effect in January 2026. This rule involves the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and its requirement for obstetrics and gynecology residents to receive induced abortion training as a standard part of their curriculum unless they opt out. Lankford and his colleagues argue that the opt-out model places undue pressure on residents, potentially influencing career-critical decisions.
The letter sent to Kennedy and Oz suggests, "in order for a graduate medical education (GME) program to be fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), they must provide training in induced abortion as standard training to all [obstetrics and gynecology] residents." It also highlights that medical students with objections to such procedures might steer clear of the OB/GYN specialty altogether. The signatories advocate for a system wherein induced abortion training remains accessible yet not mandatory, hence aligning with the Coats-Snowe Amendment, which prohibits discrimination against health care entities that refuse to engage in abortion-related activities, as per Senator Ashley Moody's Office.
According to the data noted in the letter, a significant majority of practicing OB/GYN physicians, amounting to 76-93%, do not perform induced abortions—a figure that underscores the argument that such procedures should not be deemed standard practice. The senators argue that while the opt-out rule has been in place, it has not provided additional essential training for medical residents. Instead, the senators assert, "it did was set up an environment which coerces residents to participate in procedures that intentionally end the lives of fetal human beings." They contend that the opt-out requirement infringes upon the conscience protections specified by existing federal law, according to Senator Ashley Moody's Office.
