On Tuesday night, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives once again refused — for the 75th time — to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to the floor for debate and a vote.
Republicans, on the other hand, have requested unanimous consent to consider the legislation, which contains no anti-abortion poison pills, every day Congress has been in session since early February.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) asked for unanimous consent Tuesday evening, but was, as expected, denied by her Democratic colleagues.
“The refusal by House Democrats to allow a vote on common sense legislation that protects the life of innocent babies and their mothers is abhorrent,” she said in a statement, according to National Review.
If approved, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would require doctors to provide medical care to infants who survive abortion attempts. Despite being supported by pro-life lawmakers, the bill does not in any way restrict access to abortion. It doesn’t even require abortionists to have hospital admitting privileges or for abortion clinics to meet the standards of any other surgical facility in the U.S.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) reiterated those facts to National Review in an email Tuesday, telling the outlet: “This bill simply requires health care practitioners to provide babies born alive after surviving abortions with the same level of medical care as any other baby born alive. That’s it.”
“My Republican colleagues and I know there are moderate Democrats who feel the same, and are tired of this new Democrat majority cowering to its socialist left wing,” he continued. “They are ignoring issues that matter to the majority of the country and it is a shame this chamber has neglected to consider a vote on this commonsense piece of legislation.”
In an effort to force the bill out of the House Judiciary Committee and onto the floor for a vote, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) filed a discharge petition in April. His petition currently has 201 signatures, three of which are from Democrats: Reps. Dan Lipinski (Ill.), Ben McAdams (Utah), and Collin Peterson (Minn.).
If history is any indication, it doesn’t appear Scalise is going to win over any more Democrats.
Last month, after a hearing on abortion access, actor and pro-abortion activist Busy Philipps, who was invited to testify before Congress, shot a flippant response to Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) if abortion survivors, like Melissa Ohden, have the right to control their own bodies.
“Although I play a doctor on television, sir, I am actually not a physician,” Philipps replied, according to Mother Jones.
The truth of the matter, though, is this is not a medical question — this is a moral question. And it’s apparently one many Democrats don’t care to answer.