OPINION — Erica Schwartz, the newly appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control, made federal priorities clear during her recent confirmation hearings: “Abortion surveillance is absolutely a critical component of what the CDC is currently doing.” She assured members of Congress that she would ensure that states weren’t “hiding abortions” under the auspices of “emergency care.”
Abortion defenders were quick to condemn Schwartz’s comments, while others pointed out that the post-Roe v. Wade landscape not only affects elective abortions but also women facing miscarriages and obstetric emergencies.
Discussions about abortion and related policies will undoubtedly continue. The issue of “abortion surveillance” should ring alarm bells even for those who disapprove of abortion. Schwartz’s comment clearly revealed a broader trend in state surveillance, government overreach and “surveillance cronyism.”
