| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 25, 2020 |
CONTACT: Mallory Quigley [email protected] |
Extremist Democrats Have Blocked Both Bills Despite Overwhelming Consensus of Americans – Even Their Own Party Rank-and-File
Washington, D.C. – Today the U.S. Senate will vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. These bills would end late-term abortion at a point by which research shows babies feel pain, and ensure that infants born alive during failed abortions receive the same medical care afforded children born prematurely at the same age, respectively. President Trump has pledged to sign these bills into law if they get to his desk.
Ahead of the consecutive votes, the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) issued the following comment:
“Democrats have an opportunity today to stop their abortion extremism by joining Republicans to ban painful late-term abortions and infanticide,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “President Trump stands ready to sign both these popular, life-saving bills into law – it is only the abortion extremism of the Democratic Party that stands in the way. Should Democrats continue their extremism, we will work tirelessly to ensure they are punished at the ballot box this November.
“The science is clear: by at least five months, children in the womb can feel excruciating pain. A strong majority of Americans – including Democrats, Independents, and those who self-identify as pro-choice – agree it is past time to get our country out of the club of seven nations worldwide that allow abortion on demand more than halfway through pregnancy.
“The Born-Alive legislation is necessary specifically because the Pain-Capable bill is not law. Because our nation permits extreme late-term abortions, babies survive these procedures, and are vulnerable to being killed outside the womb or abandoned to die. Americans agree that these newborn infants deserve care and protection. The overwhelming majority of Americans support legislation to end infanticide but abortion extremists in Congress have spent more than a year blocking this bill.
“We thank President Trump for championing this legislation and calling out Democrats’ abortion extremism, and we are grateful to Leader McConnell, Chairman Graham, and Senator Sasse for their heroic leadership.”
First introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would protect unborn children from late-term abortion after five months, more than halfway through pregnancy, a point by which science shows they can feel pain. The bill is known as “Micah’s Law” in honor of Micah Pickering, who was born prematurely at twenty weeks (22 weeks gestation).
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act was first introduced by Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE). In just four states that report on abortion survival rates, at least 25 children were born alive during failed abortions in 2017. Furthermore, the CDC estimates that between 2003 and 2014, at least 143 babies died after surviving failed abortions, and it is very likely that this undercounts the actual number. Earlier this month, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on this legislation where expert witnesses testified, including SBA List’s National Campaign Chair Jill Stanek and Charlotte Lozier Institute Associate Scholar Robin Pierucci, M.D., M.A.
In the House, Democrats continue to block the bill despite 204 members signing a discharge petition filed by Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) to hold a vote. If a majority of Representatives sign the petition, it will force a vote by the full House. Nationwide polling finds that 77 percent of voters support legislation to protect babies who survive failed abortions.
In his State of the Union Address, President Trump called out Democrats for their extremism on abortion and called on Congress to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
SBA List is a network of more than 837,000 pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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The SBA Pro-Life America National Pro-life Scorecard is a tool that helps hold members of Congress accountable for their legislative records on life and that highlights leadership in the fight to serve women and save babies.
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