Washington D.C., Feb 29, 2020 / 09:00 am
Two pieces of pro-life legislation failed to overcome a Democratic filibuster this week-but two pro-life senators said the bills forced debate on a vital subject.
The Pain-Capable Unborn-Child Protection Act, introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R- S.C.), would have banned elective abortions after five months, the point at which science suggests an unborn child can feel pain. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, introduced by Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), would have required that a child who survives a botched abortion attempt receive the appropriate medical care for their gestational age.
Although both bills received majority support, they each failed to reach the 60-vote threshold required to proceed. Three Democratic senators-Sens. Doug Joes, Bob Casey, and Joe Manchin-broke with their party to support the Born-Alive bill. Casey and Manchin also voted in support of the Pain-Capable Bill, while Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against it.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), an original co-sponsor of both the Pain-Capable and Born-Alive bills, told EWTN Pro-Life Weekly on Thursday that passing these pieces of legislation would have been a "great step forward."