Contact: Bernadette Green, (202) 225-2476

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) today voted to protect babies who are born alive after an abortion or attempted abortion.

The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 4712) amends the country’s criminal code to prohibit health care practitioners from not administering the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion. The mother of the child born alive may not be prosecuted under this law.

The bill specifically:

· Requires health care practitioners to do all they can to preserve the life of the child as they would other babies born prematurely and requires the practitioner to ensure that the child is immediately transferred and admitted to the hospital.

· Establishes strong criminal penalties for anyone who intentionally kills, or attempts to kill, a child born alive.

· Allows the woman upon whom the abortion was performed or attempted to obtain appropriate relief through civil action.

“We need to do all we can to protect these most vulnerable members of our society,” said Grothman. “I stand with the millions of Americans who respect the sanctity of human life and want to live in a country that adequately protects newborn babies in receiving life-saving care.”

Background

Under federal law, children born alive are recognized as persons. However, there is no federal law criminalizing abortionists who deny care to babies who survive abortions.

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