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RE: Amendments to S. Con. Res. 5, the Senate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2021
Dear Senator:
Today, the Senate is expected to resume consideration of S. Con. Res. 5, the Senate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2021. Numerous amendments are anticipated, including several related to abortion.
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) urges you to vote in favor of amendments advancing the following pro-life priorities and reserves the right to include any roll call that occurs on such amendments in our scorecard of key roll calls of the 117th Congress.
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act:
An amendment has been offered related to the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (BAASPA) which would enact an explicit requirement that a baby born alive during an abortion must be afforded “the same degree” of care that would apply “to any other child born alive at the same gestational age,” including transportation to a hospital. In addition, the BAASPA applies the existing penalties of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1111 (the federal murder statute) to anyone who performs “an overt act that kills a child born alive.” It would also empower women with a right to sue their abortionist and others for harm caused by violations of the act.
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act:
An amendment has been offered related to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which continues to be one of the right-to-life movement’s top congressional priorities. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would generally extend legal protection to unborn humans beginning at 20 weeks fetal age (22 weeks of pregnancy), based on congressional findings that by that point (and perhaps even earlier) the unborn child has the capacity to experience great pain during an abortion.
The Mexico City Policy:
An amendment has been offered that would prohibit global health assistance funds to foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning or that provide financial support to any other foreign NGO that conducts such activities.
Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act:
An amendment has been offered which relates to a federal ban on the performance of abortions based on a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome. An unborn child deserves the same protections as any other American who is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Every person, regardless of ability or whether she is born or unborn, should be accepted in life and protected by law.
There may also be other amendments aimed at rolling back pro-life protections for unborn children. NRLC urges you to oppose such amendments and reserves the right to include any roll call that occurs on such amendments in our scorecard of key roll calls of the 117th Congress.
Should you have any questions, please contact us via e-mail at jpopik@nrlc.org. Thank you for your consideration of NRLC’s position on these important abortion-related amendments.
Respectfully submitted,
Carol Tobias
President
David N. O’Steen, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Jennifer Popik, J.D.
Legislative Director