WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tomorrow, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), and Pro-Life Caucus Chair Chris Smith (R-N.J.) will host a hearing examining H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and how it is designed to protect innocent human life left vulnerable following an attempted abortion.
The minority hearing, which will feature expert witnesses on abortion procedures and abortion statistics, begins at 1 p.m. and can be watched live here.
Republicans have spent months asking House Democrats to take up legislation protecting babies born alive during an abortion. Since Democrats have consistently refused to acknowledge or address the dangers faced by abortion survivors, Republicans are holding this hearing to discern the facts and educate the public on the desperate need for legal and medical protections for these most vulnerable members of our society.
“Democratic leaders in the House have repeatedly denied a vote on this legislation and, by doing so, they have ignored the vulnerable children born alive after an attempted abortion,” said Jennifer Popik, National Right to Life’s Director of Federal Legislation. “Considering how lock-step they are with major pro-abortion organizations like Planned Parenthood, the silence on the issue from Democratic leadership is not surprising.”
Whip Scalise and Rep. Wagner filed a discharge petition on the Born-Alive Act in early April. While all 197 Republicans have signed the petition, only three Democrats have signed on. Only 17 more signatures are needed to bypass Speaker Pelosi and force a vote on the Born-Alive Act. Click here to see a full list of members who have signed the discharge petition.
“Democrats in House leadership are willing to allow infanticide which shows just how out of touch they are with the vast majority of Americans,” Popik said.
Introduced by Rep. Wagner (on Feb. 5, 2019, H.R. 962 would provide a standard of care that currently does not exist in federal law. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would require that any health care practitioner provide the same degree of professional care that they would to any child born alive at the same gestational age.
Those who will testify during the hearing include:
To learn more about the hearing and who will participate, click here.