Protecting our nation’s most vulnerable

Published 4:25 pm Thursday, March 28, 2019

Drew Ferguson
U.S. Senator representing Georgia’s 3rd District 

The start of 2019 marked the beginning of the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. In just three months since taking power, the Democratic Party has embarked on a radical agenda threatening Americans’ constitutional rights and undermining the freedoms we hold so dear. Medical providers are sworn to do no harm, and yet these policies would legalize the murder of infants.

We cannot allow this to stand, and House Republicans have been taking action. In January, we introduced the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. This legislation would prevent this horrifying practice by making it a crime to deny treatment to any baby who survives an abortion.

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Now, to most of us, providing care for newly born children, especially those who have just survived an abortion, is not just common-sense, but our moral imperative as human beings. In fact, 70% of Americans support legislation to protect babies born alive during an abortion. But, despite this overwhelming support, my Democratic colleagues choose instead to stand by their radical pro-choice base.

House Republicans feel so strongly that we should protect abortion survivors, that we have asked over twenty times for unanimous consent to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to the House floor for a vote. Each and every time, Democrats have objected and blocked the bill.

But we are not done fighting to protect the most vulnerable. Republican Whip Steve Scalise is filing a discharge petition to force a vote on this critical legislation. I have already pledged to sign onto this petition, and I know I will be joined by my Republican colleagues. I hope my Democratic colleagues decide to join us in this life-saving effort. In the meantime, I am continuing to fight to ensure all life is protected from the moment of conception. In the 116th Congress, I have cosponsored numerous pieces of pro-life legislation, including H.R. 784, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, and H.R. 369, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2019. Protecting the sanctity of human life is critically important. I have always believed life begins at conception, and I remain committed to advancing policies that reflect that truth. The Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act is a common-sense bill that would safeguard the innocent children who survive late-term abortions. It is simply unconscionable that Democrats are standing in the way of lifesaving legislation. But I will not be deterred, and I will not rest until our laws protect the most vulnerable among us – the unborn.