If abortion is to be considered a "medical" procedure, then it must be held to the same rigorous standards we expect from practitioners of actual medicine. Abortion clinics which fail to meet these very basic requirements should be shut down to protect women.

The obvious reference is to Kermit Gosnell's clinic in Philadelphia. Through lax oversight, this man's abortion business was allowed to operate in filthy, dangerous conditions for decades. Women died and were permanently injured. His is an extreme case, but there is no denying that it is also the reality of what can happen without oversight of such practices.

In politics, there are no easy answers. For those who believe abortion is wrong in every circumstance, as I do, we are forced to deal with the reality that this practice is not going away soon. For those who promote abortion as a woman's right, the price of society's tolerance is high medical standards. There should be no question that we must err on the side of safety and health for women by giving them the best possible standard of treatment.