Congressman Steve King releases this statement after being named a recipient of the “Heartbeat Champion Award” by Faith2Action, one of the nation’s most effective pro-life organizations. King will be presented with the award on Friday in Cleveland, Ohio during a “Heartbeat Victory Party” that has been organized by pro-life activists to celebrate the recent passage and enactment into law of “Heartbeat” legislation.
“It is an honor to be recognized as a ‘Heartbeat Champion’ by those who have been the most dedicated to ensuring that ‘Heartbeat’ legislation becomes law throughout the county,” said King. “The effort I led in the last session of Congress on the federal Heartbeat Bill gathered 174 cosponsors, and it showed the country that there was broad support for the principle that when a heartbeat is detected, a baby shall be legally protected.
We reached a plateau in Congress, so I turned my attention to Iowa. With the cooperation of my State Senator, Jason Schultz, and others, we used my federal Heartbeat bill as a template that we customized for Iowa and passed into law. Our success in Iowa and Washington, D.C. inspired those seeking to enact legislation in at least seven other states.
The Heartbeat Bill has given pro-life advocates momentum, and I am optimistic that the work Janet Porter, Faith2Action, and I are doing on both the federal and state level will ultimately lead to the reversal of Roe v. Wade.”
Congressman King introduced the federal “Heartbeat Bill” in January of 2017 during the 115th Congress, where it gained the support of 174 cosponsors. As part of his advocacy efforts on behalf of the legislation, King made history as Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice when he introduced the testimony via ultrasound of Lincoln Glenn Miller. Lincoln was a pre-born baby boy of only 18 weeks of development who became the youngest witness ever to testify before Congress.
In 2018, King’s federal legislation was the base language for Iowa’s state heartbeat legislation. King personally worked with members of the Iowa Senate to write the language which became law in Iowa. He also made scores of phone calls to undecided legislators to advance the bill. The Iowa heartbeat bill ultimately passed Iowa’s Senate and House and was signed into law by Governor Reynolds.
King, who has been referred to as the “Father of the Heartbeat Bill,” has reintroduced the federal heartbeat legislation, HR 490, in the current session of Congress. The federal “Heartbeat Protection Act” is available for review at this link.
