The Wisconsin Senate just passed SB-175, a version of what is often called a “born-alive” bill. These bills require doctors to provide medical care to babies who survive and are born following failed abortion attempts. The bill will now go to the desk of Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat who has promised to veto the bill.
President Trump criticized Gov. Evers for his radical abortion policy at an April rally in Green Bay, and Trump’s comments that abortionists would “execute” babies born alive turned into a viral video clip.
Gov. Evers responded to Trump’s comments when speaking to the local press. “To say that doctors in the state of Wisconsin are executing babies is just a blasphemy,” he said. Before Trump’s trip to Wisconsin, Evers called the born-alive bill “redundant” and said, “I think those protections already exist … this deals with a specific issue that’s already been resolved.”
Turns out both Trump and Evers are wrong on the facts here.
Under current law, (1) Wisconsin doctors are not allowed to kill babies born after an attempted abortion, but also (2) doctors are not required to care for such a baby as if she were a patient.
Wisconsin’s born-alive bill states, “SB 175 would require any health-care provider present at the time an abortion or attempted abortion results in a child born-alive to exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as they would render to any other child born-alive at the same gestational age.” This is a clear protection that does not exist under current state law, so Evers is incorrect to call the bill “redundant.”
On the other hand, Trump is incorrect to say abortionists are “executing” babies born-alive. Politifact correctly noted that it is already illegal to actively kill babies, regardless of how they are born. This is exactly why the infamous abortionist Kermit Gosnell went to jail — because he actively killed (or “executed”) babies after they were born.
The born-alive bill’s true purpose is to prohibit abortionists from allowing babies born-alive after failed abortion attempts to die by giving them no care.
Actively killing a baby and passively allowing a baby to die are both terribly inhumane, but the difference is worth noting. Wisconsin’s born-alive bill would be a good anti-abortion policy win, but “executing” babies will remain illegal even if it’s vetoed.
