- An interesting sideeffect of this pandemic

is what it's done tothe war over abortion.

The president's taskforce has asked states

to ban elective surgeries for now,

and that's to help deal withthe sudden emergency shortage

of personal protective equipment

so necessary to guard the lives

of those fighting this virus.

But some abortion providershave been unwilling to go along.

And that's led some statesto ban abortion itself,

and on the flip side,

other states to specificallysay it's essential.

New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia,

and Washington state governorshave all decreed abortion

as an essential need,exempting it from any ban.

- We know that abortionis essential healthcare.

It is a procedure that wheretime is of the essence.

- [Paul] Pro-life advocate Mallory Quigley

questions the decision

and points to the politics of abortion.

- They've just put such an emphasis

on the taking of an unborn human life

and I think it speaks to the strangle hold

that the pro-abortion lobby has

on so many in our nation'sgovernments across the country.

- [Paul] But Texas, Ohio,Mississippi, Maryland,

and Louisiana are insistingabortions stop in their states

so clinics' medical gear

could instead go to fighting the pandemic.

- Not being used in the courseof an abortion procedure

which frankly, could have complications

and could send women toalready overwhelmed hospitals

and emergency rooms.

- [Paul] But that has ledto a reaction of outrage.

One activist tweeted "Needingan abortion is time sensitive

"and very essential toa person who needs one."

- It's extremely cruel thatin the middle of a pandemic

and economic insecurity that the state

is essentially forcing people

who don't want to remainpregnant to remain pregnant.

- [Paul] Pro-lifebio-ethicist Charles Camosy

tells CBN News he's beenwatching this all unfold.

- Even people who are goingto die without a transplant,

like a liver transplant,those liver transplants

are being put on hold

because they're not consideredessential surgeries.

How in anybody's rightmind, elective abortion

could be in a different category?

This beggers belief.

- [Paul] Some abortion clinic supporters

go as far as to suggestthis is all a plot.

One saying, "The anti-abortion movement

"is using a public health crisis

"to essentially ban abortion."

Another tweeted, "Evenin a national crisis,

"they don't stop their relentless assaults

"on women and pregnant people."

And another wrote, "Thisis a despicable use

"of a global pandemicto end legal abortion."

- I think that this isjust classic abortion lobby

anger and fear lashing out atthose who wanna protect life.

- What's still to be seenis how far are states

actually willing to go to stop abortions

where providers have beenunwilling to comply with the ban.

Paul Strand, CBN News, Washington.