Alabama's Democratic members of Congress, U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) and Shomari Figures (D-Prichard), voted against legislation on Thursday that would require doctors to provide life-saving medical care to babies who survive abortions.
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, with only one House Democrat voting in favor.
The legislation would require doctors to provide life-saving medical care to infants who survive a botched abortion attempt. It would also add criminal penalties for those who violate the bill's provisions.
Specifically, the bill states that present medical professionals would have to "exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age…"
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was the only Democrat to vote in favor of the Act in the 217-204 vote. Every House Republican voted in favor.
The bill made its way to the Senate on Thursday but failed to reach a final vote due to a Democratic filibuster.
Democrats in both houses painted the bill as a publicity stunt by Republicans over imaginary concerns.
According to the pro-life organization, The Family Research Council (FRC), calculating the total number of abortion survivors is nigh impossible because there are no federal reporting requirements for abortions, and only eight states currently require it.
"Currently, there is no federal criminal statute against taking the lives of born-alive infants; criminal charges are applied at the state level," The FRC said. "There are also no federal requirements for abortionists to provide medical care to infants who survive abortion, nor are there any criminal penalties for failing to do so."
"In 2002, Congress passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, but this law was only a definitional change stating that all infants who survive an abortion are full persons under the law.49 Since the 2002 law's passage, there have been no federal prosecutions against abortionists, despite state records indicating that at least 277 infants have been born alive following abortion in the United States."
At present, if an infant is killed after birth, it would be regarded as a crime of infanticide if reported. However, if the abortionist or any healthcare practitioner present fails to render care to an infant born alive following an abortion and that infant dies as a result, they do not face any federal criminal charges. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act seeks to change this by requiring the abortionist and any healthcare practitioners present to report any failures to provide life-saving care to infants born alive following an abortion and imposing penalties for such failures.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
