Doctors in Georgia are protesting misinformation about the state's abortion law and the death of Amber Thurman

EXCLUSIVE: Two Georgia lawmakers who are also doctors with experience in emergency medicine are speaking out against what they say is media “fearmongering” about the Peach State's abortion laws in light of recent coverage of the tragic deaths of two women from the state.

ProPublica's reporting on the death of Amber Nicole Thurman last week sparked controversy over Georgia's heartbeat law, which states that “no abortion shall be performed if the unborn child has a detectable human heartbeat, except in the case of a medical emergency or.” a medically unsuccessful pregnancy”.

Thurman then died in Georgia Taking abortion pills and suffer from complications. According to reports from ProPublica, doctors at Piedmont Henry Hospital waited an extended period of time before performing the necessary dilation and curettage (D&C) to remove the dead fetus, which is not an abortion, because they were reportedly afraid of legal backlash to the state abortion law.

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Georgia state Rep. Mark Newton and U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick are both emergency physicians. (Mark Newton/Rich McCormick for Congress)

But Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., and state Rep. Mark Newton don't believe the law had anything to do with Thurman's death, but rather with complications allegedly caused by the abortion pills, which doctors may have pointed out have waited too long to intervene.

“We never deny a woman an abortion because it would harm her in some way. She will always be protected,” McCormick, who previously served as emergency room chief for a Marine deployment to Afghanistan, said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“You have every right to an abortion, even with this heartbeat law,” he continued. “Let’s be very clear now. When they say there are no exceptions, there is no law in any state where there are no exceptions. That doesn't exist. It just doesn't work that way. The mother's life is always protected.” But that doesn't mean it's easy to have an abortion just because you have a complication or because something goes wrong.

Once a baby's heart has stopped, McCormick says there are no restrictions on performing a D&C to ensure the mother's safety.

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Mifepristone and misoprostol pills are pictured on October 3, 2018 in Skokie, Illinois. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“My understanding is that this baby was already dying. There was no reason it had anything to do with whether or not it could get a D&C. “That’s actually irrelevant to the baby’s life because the baby is already dead,” McCormick said. “If the heartbeat has stopped, it is not because of this law. Remember, it has nothing to do with this law at this point. It’s just about providing the woman with the best possible care.”

Newton, a board-certified emergency physician, added that doctors must make complex decisions about the risks of performing surgery versus the risks of not performing it, particularly in life-threatening emergencies.

“I don't think anything in Georgia law had anything to do with the timing of the decision, unless someone had a complete misunderstanding or was just not clear about what Georgia law was,” Newton said. “This situation in which the woman presented was clearly a medical or life-threatening emergency.”

Georgia law should not influence the timing of medical decisions, he said, adding that cases involving septic shock due to complications from a miscarriage or abortion carry a high risk of mortality and doctors often have to make quick decisions to read patients for surgery stabilize, which is usually the case immediately in emergency situations.

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An abortion rights protester holds a sign during a rally on May 14, 2022 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (AP)

Democrats and pro-choice advocates have since blamed so-called “abortion bans” for the cause of the two deaths and sought to force votes on abortion-related bills on Capitol Hill.

The advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America released a six-character ad Tuesday denouncing “Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic abortion advocates for spreading misinformation” surrounding the deaths.

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“Amber Thurman and Candi Miller died after suffering complications from dangerous abortion drugs and not receiving appropriate, completely legal emergency care,” President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “The laws do not penalize women who have abortions and they use simple, generally accepted legal language.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Piedmont Henry Hospital but did not receive a response prior to publication.

Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson contributed to this report.