While the streets of Washington were warming up, so was the pro-life action in Congress! To put an exclamation point on an already successful day, House Republicans (and six Democrats) gave marchers something else to cheer about when it passed the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Act. As far as pro-lifers are concerned, the only disappointment of the day is that America has 183 members who would vote against it.
In a fierce debate over giving care to babies who live through the procedure, Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) asked, “What if your doctor stepped back and refused to provide care for your child? That would be unacceptable… Every life has dignity. Ultimately we must ban abortion, but until then, we must fight to protect every precious life that we can. The Born Alive bill does that.”
Democrats fired back with inane arguments for killing a living, breathing abortion survivor. In one of the greatest ironies, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) asked, “In what other circumstance would we allow denying, delaying, and interfering with someone’s medical care?” She apparently forgot that this bill does exactly that – penalizes the denial of care for born-alive babies! Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-Ala.) asked her colleagues across the line to explain their logic. “My question to those who would oppose this bill is this: ‘How is the value of life of a baby born alive after an abortion any different from the value of the life of any other?’”
In the end, though, common decency prevailed, sending a bill to the Senate that no rational person should object to. As former FRCer and March for Life Action Vice President Tom McClusky reminded people, this isn’t about abortion. “You’re talking about infanticide.” And Americans, for their part, oppose it. In fact, if today’s debate proves anything, it’s how far outside the mainstream the Democratic Party is. Not only does the country favor limits on abortion, but the support is only widening. Sixty-three percent now agree with a ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy – up from 59 percent just a year ago. And guess what? “Pro-choicers” are partially responsible for the boost! The number of Obama’s party who support the same ban jumped to 56 percent from 49 percent this time last year. Another 61 percent want “significant restrictions on abortion.”
Andrew Walther, of the Knights of Columbus who commissioned the polling, points out, “This is not, strictly speaking, a partisan issue.” Yet the D.C. leadership of the party continues to treat it as such. “You have major blocs in every party that are looking for these kinds of restrictions. The labels mask a much greater consensus.” On an issue like the first-degree murder of a newborn, support should give way to unanimity. “In a civilized society, treating a baby born alive after an abortion with the same care that any other newborn baby would receive should not be controversial,” Melanie Israel pointed out.
At a time when more children are at risk than ever (see Centers for Medical Progress videos for proof), it’s time for both parties to come together and protect our own. Unfortunately for society’s most vulnerable, D.C. liberals aren’t willing to give up their militant stance. Instead of moving the Democratic Party back to the place of common sense regulations, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and company are too beholden to the wealthy hard-liners to compromise. And it continues to cost them. Voters across the country are frustrated with the direction of the Left, which can’t seem to find room in its supposed “big tent” for middle ground.
“We say we’re diverse and tolerant,” former Indiana state Democrat Dennie Oxley told Politico, “but we’re really not tolerant of certain groups.” Minnesota state Rep. Jeanne Poppe explained. “Some in the party, especially from metro areas, are not tolerant of other opinions, especially on guns and abortion. It’s OK, if you’re liberal, to be intolerant.” It may be okay, but it’s not smart. And in the next election, heartland voters may remind liberals why.
