Senate Democrats on Monday blocked an effort to pass legislation clarifying that babies who survive attempted abortions must receive medical care.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., rejected the motion to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, authored by Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and co-sponsored by other Republicans. Sasse had sought to pass the bill via unanimous consent, meaning that one senator could stop it by objecting.
“You’re either for babies or you’re defending infanticide,” Sasse said before the vote. “That’s literally what this bill is about.”
Murray said in objecting to the call for unanimous consent the U.S. already had laws against infanticide, and accused Sasse of misrepresenting the purpose of his legislation.
GOP senators were aiming to pressure Democrats to state whether they believe any limits should be placed on abortion after controversial comments appearing to indicate otherwise from Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.
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The abortion bill introduced in the Senate had the backing of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who said during his opening remarks on the Senate floor Monday that the legislation was “the very definition of something that might receive unanimous consent.”
“What could be more unanimous than this? … It’s harrowing this legislation is even necessary,” McConnell said.
He added that he hoped Democrats “don’t invent any reasons to block this bill later today. I can assure them this won’t be the last time to assure newborns are offered this final legal protection.”
The bill would have built on the 2002 Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which clarified that “every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development” is a “person” for all federal law purposes. That law was intended to clarify that babies were supposed to receive protections if they survived an abortion, and Sasse’s bill further clarifies what level of care they are supposed to receive, including being immediately transferred to a hospital.
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Even after @SenateMajLdr said Democrats shouldn't block it, Dems block Senate bill requiring medical care for babies that survive abortion https://t.co/RbncVUEVQH
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 5, 2019
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