Editor’s note. On January 12, 210 House Democrats voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, a bill that required “healthcare practitioners to give the same level of care to a child born alive after an abortion or an attempted abortion as the child at that same gestational age,” to quote pro-life Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Below is what Rep. Jordan said on that Thursday. We will repost two statements each day. We’ll also quote some of the utterly amazing comments from pro-abortion Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-NY who led the charge against abortion survivors.
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Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. In simple terms: Life is precious, life is sacred, all life, including unborn children, but that is not what this legislation is about. This legislation is about those kids who are born alive making sure they get protected. For over 40 years, the decision in Roe v. Wade, as Justice Alito has stated, inflamed debate and deepened division over the issue of abortion in this country.
We have seen that play out over the last year, but what should be undisputed is the care of a child who is born alive after an attempted abortion.
Unfortunately, as evidenced by comments from prominent Democrats, not everyone believes that a child born alive should be protected.
We all know in 2019, then-Governor Northam of the State of Virginia stated this: The infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, the infant would be resuscitated if that is what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.
Think about that. It is not just anybody saying that. It is the Governor of one of our largest States. The cavalier attitude he displayed toward human life is just wrong.
H.R. 26 would require healthcare practitioners to give the same level of care to a child born alive after an abortion or an attempted abortion as the child at that same gestational age. Work to save the kid’s life, work to help that newborn. It would also require the immediate transfer of the surviving infant to a hospital. This legislation requires healthcare practitioners or other employees to report any violations of this provision to State or Federal law enforcement for criminal prosecution.
In addition, H.R. 26 provides the mother of an abortion survivor with a civil right of action against the healthcare practitioner who fails to provide the required level of care. It is simple. Infants born alive following an abortion are kids. They are children. All newborns deserve the same level of care. In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers declared that it was life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that are the unalienable rights bestowed on us by our Creator. Congress has a duty to protect these fundamental rights. This should be an easy vote for all Members. I thank my colleagues, Representatives ANN WAGNER and KAT CAMMACK, for their diligent work on this legislation, and I urge all Members to support it.