House Republicans called on Democrats Wednesday to allow a vote on legislation ensuring medical care for babies born after failed abortions.
Republican Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., alongside members of the House GOP conference and anti-abortion advocates outside the Capitol, demanded that Democrats sign onto an effort to bypass Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leadership and set up a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act. The bill would make it a felony for a doctor to fatally harm an infant after surviving an attempted abortion.
“I’m calling on every member of Congress to sign the discharge petition so that we can bring this bill to the floor, have this debate so all the country can see this barbaric process of murdering babies when they’re alive is legal in many states,” Scalise said.
Scalise said that the Democrats are taking an extreme far-left position in refusing to bring the bill up for a vote.
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California faulted Democrats for objecting to GOP attempts to bring the bill up for a vote through unanimous consent.
“This is not a partisan issue,” McCarthy said. “Last night on the floor, for the 17th time, we asked to bring up born-alive protection. For the 17th time, Democrats refused.”
The speakers at the press event also included GOP conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., and anti-abortion advocates Jill Stanek, Olivia Gans, and Melissa Cifuentes.
