“Society has an obligation to protect life”

WASHINGTON — Today, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) joined Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and 19 other Senate co-sponsors to introduce the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

"If we can’t come together and agree that newborn babies deserve care, our talk about 'human rights' and 'inherent dignity' is empty," said Sen. Sasse. "This is an opportunity for well-meaning people to set aside our differences and work to protect babies. I'm grateful that the House did that last week and I'm glad to begin that process in the Senate today."

"Society has an obligation to protect life," Senator Ron Johnson said. "It is my hope that we all can agree on this fundamental truth. In today’s society, the need to protect life outside the womb is urgent. I support the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the hope that it will strengthen protections for the most vulnerable people in society."

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which is identical to a bill passed by the House of Representatives last week on a bipartisan vote of 248-177, would protect newborns who survive abortions by requiring appropriate care and admission to a hospital.

The legislation requires that, when an abortion results in the live birth of an infant, health care practitioners must exercise the same degree of professional skill and care to protect the newborn as would be offered to any other child born alive at the same gestational age. It also requires that the living child, after appropriate care has been given, be immediately transported and admitted to a hospital.

Besides Sens. Sasse and Johnson, original co-sponsors to the legislation include Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).

The bill’s text can be found here.

###