Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) took to the Senate floor a call for passage of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (S. 130). If enacted, the bill would extend federal legal protection to babies who are born alive during an abortion.
The call for Senate action comes a week after the New York legislature passed, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed, the so-called “Reproductive Health Act.” Among other provisions, the law repealed protections for infants born alive during an attempted abortion. Previously, New York law stipulated that a second physician be present to care for a child 20 weeks or older born alive during an abortion. Cuomo was an enthusiastic supporter of the bill.
Sasse’s comments on the floor also come a day after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) waded into the debate over a similar measure in the Commonwealth. In a radio interview Northam indicated that, in his view, an infant born alive during an attempted abortion wouldn’t necessarily be entitled to immediate treatment.
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