Sasse's bill is co-sponsored by more than two dozen Senate Republicans. The House version of the bill was co-sponsored by 146 members. One Democrat, Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), joined 145 Republicans as co-sponsors.
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is Sasse's second recent use of unanimous consent in the senate. In January he submitted a resolution underscoring the constitutional prohibition of "religious tests" being imposed on candidates for public office, specifically clarifying that membership of the Knights of Columbus is not a disqualification from holding public office.
That resolution was sparked after Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) questioned a judicial nominee about belonging to the Knights of Columbus and suggested that the group held "extreme" positions on social issues.
Although that resolution passed with unanimous consent, Hirono later took to the Senate floor and stated that she felt Sasse was embracing the "alt-right's position" by supporting the Knights of Columbus.
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, head of the U.S. bishop's religious liberty committee, sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday asking them to end the practice of asking "discriminatory questions" and to "refrain from further imposing religious tests on judicial nominees."
Kurtz singled out the Knights of Columbus questioning as a "religious test" that was being unfairly imposed on Catholic nominees.
"Not only are religious tests unconstitutional and unjust, they are an attack on all people of faith and those with no faith at all," said Kurtz. "Religious tests tell not only Catholics, but all Americans, that they cannot both serve their country and live out their convictions."
Christine Rousselle is a former DC Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. Prior to working at CNA, she was the managing web editor of Townhall.com; she has a BA in political science from Providence College.