It’s important to remember that the legislative wheel turns very slowly, but even more so when neither pro-life Republicans nor pro-abortion Democrats control both Houses of Congress.
Here is an update about what is taking place vis a vis the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act which House Democrats are doing their very best to prevent from ever coming to a vote. We’ll first remind you what the Act is about and then how you can use the upcoming August congressional recess to contact your Member of the House if they have not already signed the discharge petition.
So what is the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act about and what is it intended to accomplish? Perhaps the best way to describe both is to see one of the primary tactics pro-abortionists use in order to justify their inaction in the face of what is, after all, infanticide.
The Washington Post ran a typically error-saturated op-ed by Laura Bassett. For our purposes here, the key misrepresentation which we hear constantly from pro-abortion members of Congress is the assertion that under the Act, “doctors” (abortionists) are “required to take every step necessary to revive a child born alive after a failed abortion.”
“To take every step necessary…” No, no, no, and no. What does the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act , in truth, require?
H.R. 962 would enact an explicit requirement that a baby born alive during an abortion must be afforded “the same degree” of care that would apply “to any other child born alive at the same gestational age,” including transportation to a hospital.
This language does not dictate bona fide medical judgments nor does it require futile measures. Rather , H.R. 962 requires that babies born alive during abortions are treated in the same manner as those who are spontaneously born prematurely.
SIGN THE PETITION: Stop Infanticide! Stop Abortions Up to Birth!
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act was introduced earlier this year. Since then, every day the House has been in session, a pro-life member of the House has taken to the floor, seeking “unanimous consent” to move forward on H.R. 962. It takes only one objection, and 75 times a pro-abortion Democrat has dutifully objected.
There is only one way around a hostile majority: the aforementioned discharge petition which requires 218 signatures. On April 2, led by Republican Whip Steve Scalise and Rep. Ann Wagner, members of the U.S. House of Representatives lined up on the House floor to begin signing a discharge petition.
What happens if a majority of House members add their names to the discharge petition? The bill will bypass committees run by pro-abortion Democrats and be brought to the floor for a vote. Every Republican and three Democrats have signed the petition.
The discharge petition needs 218 total signatures. As of this week, 17 more signatures are needed.
To send a message to House Members to sign the discharge petition, you can use this Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act link.
The official congressional list of members who have already signed the petition shows the order in which members signed. Heritage Action has a discharge petition tracker listing names in alphabetical order.
Thank you for your help as we move forward to save abortion survivors from lethal medical neglect.
LifeNews.com Note: Dave Andrusko is the editor of National Right to Life News and an author and editor of several books on abortion topics. This post originally appeared in at National Right to Life News Today —- an online column on pro-life issues.
