Supporters of abortion fear that in the coming years, Roe v. Wade may be overturned and abortion decisions left up to state legislatures. To get ahead of such action, some states are passing sweeping new abortion laws. For example, New York’s Governor signed the Reproductive Health Act (January 2019). It expanded abortion rights and allowed abortion right up to the point of birth. Illinois soon followed with its own version of this legislation, and Virginia’s Governor expressed his belief that if babies in Virginia were born alive during an abortion, they should be left to die.

To close loopholes in federal law, pro-life Members of Congress introduced the Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act. If passed, this legislation not only extends criminal penalties to health care providers who practice infanticide, but it requires that any baby born alive during an abortion be treated with the same standard of care given to a non-aborted baby of the same gestational age. This bill would ensure that babies will not be cast aside, ignored, or left to die.

In the last Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) refused to allow a vote on this legislation and pro-abortion Senators also blocked a procedural attempt to vote on the bill. In the current Congress, Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) have joined House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) to spearhead a new Discharge Petition. If 218 House Members sign the Discharge Petition, Speaker Pelosi will be required to bring the legislation to the Floor and every Member of the House of Representatives will vote on the Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act (H.R. 619/S. 123).