| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2019 |
CONTACT: Mallory Quigley [email protected] | 202-223-8073 |
Washington, D.C. – This morning House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY), Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) held a press conference to call on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats to stop blocking a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, legislation to protect babies born alive in failed abortions. House Democrats have refused requests to vote on the bill 17 times in the past 40 days.
They were joined by pro-life advocates Jill Stanek, national campaign chair for Susan B. Anthony List; Olivia Gans, outreach director for the National Right to Life Committee and president of the Virginia Society for Human Life; and Melissa Cifuentes, a Rhode Island pro-life activist, all representing states where Democratic lawmakers have introduced radical legislation to expand abortion on demand through birth.
Stanek, a former nurse who witnessed babies born alive during failed abortions and left to die, gave remarks about a bill in the Illinois legislature that would enshrine abortion as a “fundamental right”:
“Abortion advocates are trying to eradicate even the meagerest protections for unborn and born babies… This ruthless bill repeals protections for abortion survivors and criminal penalties for abortionists. It repeals all abortion facility regulations. It repeals conscience protections for hospitals and health care professionals from being forced to participate in abortions.
“It allows abortion up to the moment of birth, for any reason, by a nondoctor, in a clinic that’s not inspected and doesn’t have to report injuries. It allows self-abortions and forces all health insurance policies to cover abortions, including religious organizations. Incredibly, this bill even repeals the Illinois Partial Birth Abortion Ban. I appeal to both Illinois and federal legislators to halt the insanity and work to protect unborn and born babies rather than provide a killing ‘oasis.’”
SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser commented on the obstruction of Born-Alive legislation in Congress:
“Shame on Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats for refusing to allow a vote on this popular, compassionate bill. The modern Democratic Party’s abortion agenda is so radical, they will not even stand against infanticide. These extremists are out of step with the American people and must be defeated in the coming election.”
SBA List is a network of more than 700,000 pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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