WASHINGTON, DC– Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) today acted to force a vote on protecting babies born during an abortion attempt. Democrats are blocking a vote on a bill to protect babies born alive. In order to force a vote on this bill, Olson and 190 of his colleagues signed Republican Whip Steve Scalise’s discharge petition on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. A discharge petition is a tool that can force a vote on a bill. It requires 218 House members to sign on to trigger a vote.
“A majority of Americans including those who support abortion oppose them in the third trimester and everyone should oppose allowing a baby to be killed after a failed abortion attempt,” Rep. Pete Olson said. “A baby born alive deserves the same right to medical protections every other American has access to. We cannot allow infanticide to become normalized in our country. Every life is sacred and every child has the right to live. I urge all of my colleagues to sign this petition as soon as possible.”
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would:
- Require practitioners to preserve the life and health of a child who survives an abortion.
- Require practitioners and employees to report violations to law enforcement authorities.
- Penalize the intentional killing of a baby born alive.
- Protect the mother from prosecution.