Byrne goes on MSNBC on Roe v. Wade anniversary and declares ‘every life is precious’

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January 22, 2015

(Video above: Rep. Bradley Byrne interviewed on MSNBC on 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade)

WASHINGTON — In an interview on MSNBC Thursday morning, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL1) defended pro-life legislation aimed at banning abortions performed after 20 weeks gestation.

“People want us to do something about the fact that America is one of a handful of countries that allow people to have abortions after 20 weeks,” he said. “Even pro-choice people want us to pass this legislation.”

All of Alabama’s Republican Congressional delegation support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a bill that would prohibit late-term abortions after 20 weeks based on research showing an unborn child can feel pain by this age. GOP lawmakers had planned to pass the legislation Thursday as part of raising awareness for Sanctity of Life day and the March for Life.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act was passed by the GOP-controlled House in 2013 and stalled in the Senate, but this year concerns were raised by a few moderate female Republican members of the House at the eleventh hour. Last night the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act was pulled in favor of a bill that would prevent all federal funding for abortions.

The Washington Post explains the concerns some members exprssed with the initial bill:

1) A provision in the bill that would provide abortion exemptions to women who had been raped only if they reported the crime to police and 2) The general concern, particularly among female Republican members, that holding a symbolic vote on such a high profile social issue this soon into the 114th Congress would provide fodder for the “war on women” argument Democrats have been advancing against the GOP for the last several elections.

In his interview with MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown, Congressman Byrne reiterated his support for doing everything he could to decrease the number of abortions in the US, despite host Jose Diaz-Balart’s insistence that the bill would only prevent a relatively small number of abortions.

“Well it may be a small number, but every life is precious,” Byrne replied. “If we save one life, that’s important and it’s important to the American people that we save every life we possibly can. We are talking about saving lives here. So if it is one life or 5,000 lives, it doesn’t matter.”

January 22nd marks the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision which made all abortions before the third trimester legal. The March for Life occurs on this day every year with thousands of peaceful protestors commemorating the millions of lives lost to abortion since the Supreme Court’s fateful ruling.