Editor’s note. On January 12, 210 House Democrats voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, a bill that required “healthcare providers to administer the same level of care to the babies who survive abortions that they would to any other child born at the same gestational age.”
The following are the remarks of pro-life Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) We will repost two statements each day. This is the second post for Tuesday.
Mrs. WAGNER. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague, a champion for life, our chair of the Judiciary Committee, JIM JORDAN. I rise today, Madam Speaker, in support of H.R. 26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. I have championed this issue for decades, and I have been blessed and honored to lead this legislation since 2019.
I am so grateful to the co-leads of this bill, Representative KAT CAMMACK and our Majority Leader, STEVE SCALISE; to the leadership of this Congress; and especially to the thousands of champions of life across the country for their tireless work and support of the most vulnerable Americans, unborn and newborn infants.
Thanks to these efforts, after dozens of unanimous consent requests, two discharge petitions, and countless hours of advocacy work, the House will, at last, take action to ensure that every single baby born in the United States receives lifesaving medical care at their most vulnerable moment.
All children should be welcomed with joy and wonder, no matter the circumstances of their birth. Yet, too many of these sweet little ones are denied the medical care they need to survive and thrive simply because they were unwanted.
This commonsense legislation will require healthcare providers to administer the same level of care to the babies who survive abortions that they would to any other child born at the same gestational age.
I hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will, again, join me in supporting the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, as some did, as our chairman mentioned, when it passed the House in both 2015 and 2018 with bipartisan support.
To that point, I want to be absolutely clear that this bill has nothing to do with the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs to return abortion to the States. Not a word of the born-alive act obstructs States’ ability to implement Dobbs as they see fit.
I strongly believe that States should control pro-life policymaking, just as I support exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, but today, we are considering an entirely separate issue. We are considering the protection of infants that have been delivered alive after an attempted abortion. That is it, plain and simple.
I implore my Democratic colleagues to put aside politics and stand in support of lifesaving care for these innocent newborns.
We must remember today that children are not the only victims of born-alive abortions. Women, fathers, and whole families all suffer deeply from the loss of a child. Our communities are weaker because these bright young ones did not grow up to share their wisdom, laughter, and ingenuity with all of us.
Just down the hall a little bit later this afternoon, we will meet with extraordinary women who survived abortions. When they entered the world, they were not greeted with the profound love and all that I felt when I held my children and grandchildren for the first time. Instead, they were left to die.
They are alive today because of courage and grace, mostly of nurses who chose to act as they struggled for breath. Each of these women has built a happy, healthy life, bringing light and joy to their friends and families and enriching their communities. They inspire us all.
As a mother and grandmother, they affirm my belief in a culture of life for children, born and unborn, and their mothers and families. Every single newborn, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, deserves to share the miracle of life and have lifesaving medical care.
We must act with compassion to protect these little ones and give women a strong support system as they navigate the miracles and challenges of motherhood. This bill will save real lives, and it will give survivors a precious chance to build a future.
Madam Speaker, I urge every Member of the House to vote ‘‘yes’’ on H.R. 26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.