House Republicans passed their version of an “in-life” abortion bill Thursday, a day after Democrats blocked consideration of the Senate version.
The bill would require health care providers to provide “the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence” to children born alive after an attempted abortion as they would during a normal birth. There is.
Republicans argue that the bill is not anti-abortion, but anti-infanticide. Democrats say the bill is redundant because killing infants who are born alive after an abortion attempt is rare but already illegal, and the bill would only “criminalize” doctors. criticizing.
Healthcare workers who do not comply with the law can be subject to fines, up to five years in prison, or both.
The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act was previously passed by the House in 2023 by a vote of 220-210-1. At the time, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill, and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, voted “yes.” It was previously passed in 2015.
The bill passed the House on Thursday by a vote of 217-204. One Democratic lawmaker voted in favor of the bill, and the other voted “yes.”
The bill's passage comes just a day before the anti-abortion March for Life is scheduled to take place in Washington on Friday.
On Wednesday, Senate Republicans tried to trigger a shutdown of their bill, but the motion failed without the necessary 60 votes. Republicans framed the motion's failure as Democrats voting against a bill to combat infanticide.
“This bill would create a new standard of care for physicians who provide reproductive health care that is not based on medicine, facts, and science. “The law already says that women are allowed to give birth regardless of the circumstances,” said Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, after the motion failed. “It's equal protection.” Ta.
Before the bill passed the House, newly minted Democratic Rep. Kelly Morrison of Minnesota, an obstetrician and gynecologist, slammed the bill as “cruel” to patients.
“Medical complications can prevent patients from realizing their dreams of starting a family,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. “The moment a patient and their family learn of a fatal fetal condition that is incompatible with life. It is devastating. The pain and grief at that moment is immeasurable. The mother's cries of despair will never be heard. ”
“This bill is cruel. It singles out patients who are facing the worst day of their lives. This bill won't solve the problem,” she added. “Physicians already have the honor and obligation to provide appropriate care to their patients.”
Republican Rep. Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota said the bill is “not about abortion, it's about medical care for infants.”
“These children are not trash! We can't treat them like trash! This law is trying to say that we need to protect children born after abortions,” said Rep. Chris Smith, RN. J.) shouted in the chamber.
“This is humane, pro-child, pro-human rights legislation, and I hope that my colleagues on the other side understand that these children have great value,” Smith added.
Between 2003 and 2014, of available data on infants born alive after an attempted abortion, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded “143 deaths due to induced abortion.”
In opposition to the bill, several House Democrats spoke of their own experiences of losing desired pregnancies and choosing abortions to protect their health and that of their families.
Timothy M. Kennedy (D) of New York told how he and his wife learned that their pregnancy was no longer viable and their lives were in danger.
“What we needed most was a law that stood between the health of my wife and unborn child and the future of our family,” he added. “If this bill had become law, doctors would have inhumanely taken Bridget away from us, poked and prodded our baby girl with tubes, needles and IVs, causing unnecessary pain and suffering. , it would have been torture.”
