Sen. Ben Sasse introduced the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to the Senate today, which required unanimous consent to move forward. However, Sen. Patty Murray blocked the effort. Kimberly Leonard reports:
Senate Democrats on Monday blocked an effort to pass legislation clarifying that babies who survive attempted abortions must receive medical care.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., rejected the motion to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, authored by Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and co-sponsored by other Republicans. Sasse had sought to pass the bill via unanimous consent, meaning that one senator could stop it by objecting. …
Murray said in objecting to the call for unanimous consent the U.S. already had laws against infanticide, and accused Sasse of misrepresenting the purpose of his legislation.
GOP senators were aiming to pressure Democrats to state whether they believe any limits should be placed on abortion after controversial comments appearing to indicate otherwise from Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. …
The abortion bill introduced in the Senate had the backing of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who said during his opening remarks on the Senate floor Monday that the legislation was “the very definition of something that might receive unanimous consent.” …
The bill would have built on the 2002 Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which clarified that “every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development” is a “person” for all federal law purposes. That law was intended to clarify that babies were supposed to receive protections if they survived an abortion, and Sasse’s bill further clarifies what level of care they are supposed to receive, including being immediately transferred to a hospital.
If that protocol isn’t followed, then the doctor performing the abortion would face criminal prosecution.
Sasse quoted Northam on the House floor, saying his comments were an endorsement of infanticide and that he had “tarnished the American idea of equality under the law.”
Catherine Glenn Foster, President & CEO of Americans United for Life, and Steven H. Aden, Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel, will be speaking this week on what’s next in light of continuing attacks on human life, with particular emphasis on:
- What it means that New York has enshrined abortion up to birth
- How we expect Virginia extremist Kathy Tran to react to pro-life victories
- Whether other states are likely to follow New York in promoting abortion
- What you can do to advance life in your state and community
