April 15, 2021

Dear John,

Yesterday, one of the new pro-life freshman women in Congress, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), filed a procedural motion known as a "discharge petition" in the House of Representatives to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act up for a vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will be required to hold a vote on the bill if 218 members of Congress sign the petition. In the last Congress, Pelosi refused to bring this legislation up for a vote in the House over 80 times.

On the first day the petition was launched, it broke the record for having the largest number of signatures on a discharge petition in one day--202.

What is the significance of all this? Let's unpack what's at stake.

In 2019, Illinois and New York repealed existing laws that protected infants who survived an attempted abortion, setting off a national debate about medical care for abortion survivors.

Today, federal law and 32 states fail to adequately protect the lives of infants who survive abortion. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act seeks to address this issue by requiring a medical practitioner to provide proper care to infants who are born alive following an abortion procedure.

So far, only 9 states even require reporting on children born alive during an abortion. Out of these states, at least 203 infants have survived an abortion. These infants deserve the same treatment we would require for anyone else in need of medical attention.

As Rep. Cammack says, "this is simply a bill that says if a child survives an abortion attempt and is breathing then the doctor must render aid. It requires by law that the doctor must render aid and if they don't it is punishable and finable." This is common sense, and it should be something both Republicans and Democrats can easily agree on.

Addressing this issue will save lives, as those who have survived abortions can attest to. Melissa Ohden is one such survivor. Her 19-year-old mother underwent a saline abortion, and Melissa soaked in the solution for five days. Miraculously, she was delivered alive. Melissa founded the Abortion Survivors Network in 2012 and has connected with 356 abortion survivors to date.

She recently told Tony Perkins about her experience surviving an abortion attempt on her life. Melissa says, "when they deny our existence [as abortion survivors], they are denying our biological parents who have been harmed by abortion, they're denying the experience of clinic workers and nurses who cared for us who have never forgotten us, they're of course, denying hope to people. Survivors are a sign of hope."

Abortion survivor Claire Culwell also has a powerful story which she has shared with FRC.

As you can see, this bill is common sense. Yet Speaker Pelosi continues to block it. We encourage you to reach out to your representative to let them know you want to see a vote.

To Take Action:

Through FRC's End Birthday Abortion campaign, you can show your support for the lives of all babies born alive by sending a baby hat to Congress. For more information on how you can send a powerful message to Congress, visit: EndBirthdayAbortion.com

But first, get armed with the facts.

To Learn More:

Family Research Council has helped lead the way in fighting to protect infants who survive botched abortions. There has been a lot of false information spread about bills intended to protect these vulnerable babies, and the issue has been muddied by those who don't want the truth to prevail. To help clear up the confusion, FRC has created multiple resources to help you.

Issue Brief: For an in-depth analysis of the statistics, laws, and medical realities surrounding abortions in which an infant survives, read FRC's newly updated publication, "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors: Just the Facts." For a one-page summary of this publication, click here.

FRC Pro-Life Map: Does your state protect infants born alive during abortions? Check out our Pro-Life State Policy Map to find out.