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Thune: ‘Horrified’ Senate Democrats Would Not Condemn Infanticide

“A baby born alive in an abortion clinic is no less valuable and deserving of protection than a baby born in a delivery room.”

February 26, 2019

Washington — 

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed Senate Democrats’ rejection of a bill that would ban infanticide in the United States.

Full text of Thune’s speech below (as prepared for delivery):

“Mr. President, last night, for the second time in a month, Democrats objected to a bill to ban infanticide.

“For the second time in a month, Democrats objected to a bill that would do nothing more than state that a living, breathing baby born in an abortion clinic is entitled to the same protection and medical care that a living, breathing baby born in a hospital is entitled to.

“It’s a pretty basic bill, Mr. President.

“It just says that living, breathing, born human beings are entitled to protection.

“Even if they’re born in an abortion clinic.

“But apparently that’s not something Democrats are prepared to say.

“This is where Democrats’ support for abortion has led them – to being unable to condemn infanticide.

“Mr. President, let’s remember why we voted on this bill last night.

“We voted on this bill because the Democrat governor of Virginia implicitly endorsed infanticide.

“Because the Democrat governor of Virginia got up and said you could keep a living, breathing baby comfortable while you decided what to do with it.

“Mr. President, there’s only one answer to what you do with a living, breathing baby, and that is provide it with the care it needs.

“A baby born alive in an abortion clinic is no less valuable and deserving of protection than a baby born in a delivery room.

“Mr. President, it’s horrifying that we’re actually having a debate about this.

“It is horrifying that the Democrat Party can’t get up and say that infanticide is wrong.

“My Democrat colleagues like to talk about protecting the vulnerable.

“But how can they claim to care about helping those in need if they harden their hearts toward the most vulnerable among us?

“If they are willing to deny living, breathing babies basic medical care?

“Do you really stand for the vulnerable if you can’t stand up and say infanticide is wrong? 

“Mr. President, it’s terrible enough that we have so far betrayed our founding principles as to deny the right to life of living, breathing unborn babies.

“But we’re not even talking about abortion here.

“We’re talking about withholding essential care from babies born alive.

“And my Democrat colleagues can’t even bring themselves to say that this is wrong.

“Mr. President, I would say to my Democrat colleagues, do you really want to be the party of Governor Northam?

“Do you really want to be the party of infanticide?

“The American people don’t agree with the Democrat Party on abortion and infanticide.

“Most Americans believe that babies born alive after an abortion should be provided with medical care.

“And most Americans think there should be at least some limits on abortion.

“In fact, most countries in the world think there should be some limits on abortion.

“The United States is one of just a tiny handful of countries that allow elective abortion past 20 weeks of pregnancy.

“Among the others are China and North Korea.

“Not exactly the company we want to be keeping when it comes to protecting human rights.

“A recent poll found that 71 percent of Americans oppose abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

“And yet the Democrat Party is aggressively embracing an agenda of zero restrictions on abortion, ever, up to – and apparently now after – the moment of birth.

“Mr. President, I hope last night is not the last time we vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

“I hope my Democrat colleagues have a chance to recast their votes.

“And I hope that next time, they’ll decide to vote against infanticide.

“I hope that next time, they can affirm what should be a basic, foundational principle: that every baby, wherever he or she is born, deserves to be protected.”