The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act of 2021 was officially introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, and all six Republicans in the chamber from Alabama have signed on as original cosponsors of the measure.
Authored by U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), the legislation was also introduced during the previous Congress but did not advance from the Judiciary Committee, where it has again been assigned this time around. Democrats blocked the bill’s consideration several times from 2019-2020.
The legislation requires doctors to provide the same level of medical care to infants who survive abortion procedures that they would provide to infants in any other situation. In effect, the bill criminalizes infanticide or negligently allowing a baby born alive during an abortion attempt to die due to a lack of standard medical care.
The Alabama congressmen sponsoring the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act for the 117th Congress are U.S. Reps. Jerry Carl (AL-01), Barry Moore (AL-02), Mike Rogers (AL-03), Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Mo Brooks (AL-05) and Gary Palmer (AL-06). This leaves U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07), the delegation’s sole Democrat, as the only member of Congress from Alabama not backing the legislation.
“I’m proud to join Congressman Scalise, Congresswoman Ann Wagner, and nearly 200 of my colleagues in re-introducing the Born Alive Survivors Protection Act, which has been blocked by Speaker Pelosi for almost two years,” said Carl in a statement on Friday. “This bill ensures proper medical care for children who survive an abortion and imposes criminal penalties for failing to provide this care. I won’t stop fighting for life, despite President Biden and Speaker Pelosi’s hostility toward the sanctity of life.”
The other freshman member of the House from the Yellowhammer State, Moore, also released a statement.
“No matter the circumstances, all life is precious and worth saving,” he remarked. “Refusing life-saving medical care to a newborn child is unconscionable. I will continue to fight for these vulnerable babies, and I promise to protect the sanctity of life.”
Rogers stated, “I am proud to once again cosponsor this important legislation. As our country now faces a new administration and a Democrat majority in Congress, it has never been more important to stand up for the sanctity of life and the rights of the unborn. Democrats in Washington are as determined as ever to push their pro-abortion agenda on our nation. As a father of three and a Christian, standing up for the lives of the unborn is of utmost importance to me. I will always fight for the right to life.”
Aderholt — the dean of Alabama’s House delegation — made his thoughts clear in a Facebook post.
“Innocent babies deserve the right to life,” he wrote. “They are the most vulnerable among us, and I will always fight to protect them. That’s why I am an original co-sponsor of the Born Alive Act, and I will always be proud to be Pro-Life.”
Additionally, Palmer released a statement to Yellowhammer News regarding his support of the bill.
“I am proud to cosponsor the Born Alive Abortion Survivors’ Protection Act,” the Central Alabama congressman said. “It grants legal protection for children who survive a failed abortion procedure and holds those doctors who do not care for them legally accountable. Simply put, the bill protects already-delivered children from infanticide, and that should be an easy, non-controversial ‘yes’ vote for everyone.”
This comes after Palmer this week teamed up with U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) to introduce the Ensuring Accurate & Complete Data Reporting Act. This legislation seeks to improve the reporting of abortion data to the CDC.
Essentially, the bill would not only mandate accurate reporting of abortion data to the CDC, but it would also offer technical assistance with relevant data collection at the state level. Required data points would include the number of abortions and number of children who survive abortion attempts in each state. States that withhold or falsify such information would be penalized by losing eligibility for family planning services funding from Medicaid for a time.
“Accurate and transparent reporting on abortion and children who survive abortion attempts is essential to public health research and to determining sound policy,” Palmer stated. “Reporting abortion data has been voluntary for too long, and this has led to states withholding many data points routinely requested by the CDC. We must ensure that states are providing accurate information regarding abortions and the children who survive them. This bill would ensure that states cannot distort or provide faulty data in an effort to cover up the true numbers of innocent lives lost by abortion.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
