by John Hughes, M.D., American Thinker:
On 12 June 2023, I emailed the president of the American Medical Association, Dr Jack Resneck, regarding recent California legislation:
“I notice that the AMA has been unusually quiet about 2 California bills that have important ramifications for patients, parents, and physicians:
CA Bill AB957- gender affirming care
CA Bill AB2098 – informed consent
AB2098 is still being contested in the courts, I believe. With AMA’s multiple public statements regarding government overreach in health care regarding reproductive rights, it appears unusual that the AMA hasn’t weighed in one way or the other on either bill. They have substantial impact on US healthcare.”
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
To his credit, Dr Resneck, whose one-year tenure as AMA president ended 14 June 2023, responded to my email on 10 July 2023:
We agree with you that the second bill you referenced, Assembly Bill 2098, has important ramifications for physicians. The bill, which was enacted last year, expands the California medical board’s authority to discipline physicians who disseminate misinformation or disinformation about the COVID-19 virus. As you noted, the law has been challenged in court and is currently enjoined pending the outcome of litigation. The AMA’s Litigation Center is monitoring the litigation, as it has not yet reached the appellate level.
The American Medical Association (AMA) is committed to confronting disinformation, and during my time as President, I emphasized the imperative of combatting disinformation because it sows distrust in experts, science, and medical institutions, and hampers our ability to respond effectively in a health crisis.”[i]
As the leader and voice of the AMA, Dr Resneck has immense responsibility and influence. Both he and his predecessor, Dr Gerald Harmon, were incredibly active in supporting mandatory vaccination requirements, opposing anti-abortion legislation, supporting affirmative action, endorsing critical race theory, and protesting the June 2024 SCOTUS ruling that overturned Roe vs Wade. They published numerous press releases and online postings regarding these political issues that they clearly have taken a side on. Resneck, in particular, has been particularly active with the abortion issue. On 24 June 2022, he released a press release called “Ruling an egregious allowance of government intrusion into medicine.” He has been publicly active on the topic ever since. His 26 May 2023 tweet on abortion was but one of many on the topic:
“Actually, I’ve spoken publicly about the danger of criminalizing reproductive healthcare and states and regulatory bodies coming after abortion providers all year, including Dr. Bernard. AMA has briefed in multiple federal court cases seeking to protect abortion access, from district courts to circuit courts to the Supreme Court. I’ve testified in Congress and written widely about the reckless efforts by states to interfere in abortion care. I’ve done countless interviews on national TV and print media. We’ve worked with the federal government to mitigate the terrible downstream consequences for women and public health where possible. We’re bringing attention to less known downstream consequences, including physicians having to leave restrictive states, OB residents no longer wanting to train there, labor and delivery units closing, and patients losing access to other related medications. Our policies are unequivocal and I’m proud of our AMA work in this extremely challenging time.”
The AMA clearly is an active and outspoken influencer of government and public opinion when doing so suits the political appetite of its leadership. Its silence regarding the following two California bills, however, is concerning as it indicates it is likely trying to have it both ways: get the outcome it wants without having to have its opinion captured on public record.
Read More @ AmericanThinker.com
