There are two Republicans running for the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio’s 5th District, Robert Latta and Robert Owsiak. In recent press coverage of the race, Mr. Owsiak has stated his support for reproductive rights, thereby distinguishing himself from Mr. Latta. But many citizens of the 5th District may be unaware of just how conservative Mr. Latta is on this issue.
Robert Latta is one of over 120 current Republican members of the House of Representatives who are co-sponsors of H. R. 431, the Life at Conception Act. This bill provides that “the terms ‘human person’ and ‘human being’ include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.” In other words, he supports the concept referred to as “fetal personhood,” and champions a proposed federal law that would give a cluster of embryonic cells, whether inside or outside the womb, the same legal rights that Mr. Latta himself enjoys.
Such an expansive definition of human beings, and the associated extension of rights to fertilized human eggs, would effectively eliminate IVF for would-be parents, prohibit embryonic stem cell research, and ban some common forms of birth control.
At a time when the reproductive rights of Americans are increasingly under attack, it’s important to be clear that Robert Latta is one of the attackers.
Rebecca Roth
Toledo
