March for Life and federal legislation show support for unborn

On Friday, January 19, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators joined together and walked along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the 45th annual March for Life. In full view of the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol, and in the shadow of the Washington Monument, marchers raised their voices to show support for the cause of human life and dignity for every person, born or unborn.

While marchers gathered outdoors, inside the House of Representatives work was being accomplished on pro-life legislation. The House was debating H.R. 4712, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would ensure that children who survive an abortion, or an attempted abortion, are given proper medical treatment. Even before the March for Life had ended, members of Congress responded to the call to strengthen our nation’s laws to protect unborn children. In solidarity with pro-life marchers on the Mall, I joined my colleagues to approve H.R. 4712.

I co-sponsored and voted to support the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in order to ensure that these innocent children are provided the same medical care that any other newborn would receive. The legislation protects the mother of any child born alive from prosecution, and it provides the mother with a civil cause of action.

As described in our Declaration of Independence, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are the God-given rights of all people. A society that cherishes the liberty of all must be reminded that unborn children deserve their chance at freedom. Whether we maintain the sanctity of life as one of our highest priorities shows if we hold the words of our founding documents to be true.

This year, President Trump was the first president to address the March for Life live via video. As the President said, “The March for Life is a movement born out of love. You love your families, you love your neighbors, you love our nation, and you love every child, born and unborn, because you believe that every life is sacred, that every child is a precious gift from God.”

The next stop for the bill is the U.S. Senate, and President Trump has promised to sign it into law if it is approved by both houses of Congress.

The current administration has been an ally for the cause of life, not only by supporting legislation, but also through protecting religious freedom in federal regulations and appointing judges who respect life. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just announced the creation of the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division of the Office for Civil Rights and a proposal to revise regulations to enforce federal conscience and religious freedom protections. The Division of Conscience and Religious Freedom would protect conscience rights and religious freedoms of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who decline to participate in abortions.

Life is the most precious gift we have, and it is the duty of the strong to defend the weak. Unborn children are not capable of speaking in their own defense, which is why I support laws to protect them.