Congressman Bob Good (VA-05) introduced the Life Act, the strongest bill protecting life in Congress, to outlaw abortion at the federal level. His legislation makes it a federal crime for a licensed medical professional who accepts federal funds to perform or prescribe an abortion at any point after fertilization.
After celebrating the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision, Congress should continue working to protect life at the federal level. The Supreme Court’s decision returned the issue “to the people and their elected representatives,” not merely to the states as some claim.
“There are 63 million fewer Americans alive today because of Roe v. Wade. Even after this horrific ruling was overturned, abortion remains the leading killer in America. It has prematurely ended the life of countless doctors, teachers, pastors, and engineers,” said Good. “Thankfully, the Dobbs decision did overturn Roe, finding there is not a Constitutional right to abortion, and returning the regulation of abortion to the people’s representatives. In a post-Roe America, Congress must legislate to protect life. It is our duty to follow the science that life begins at conception and end abortion so that every American has the chance to live.”
Rep. Good’s Life Act builds on the consensus of House Republicans to provide stronger enforcement mechanisms for pro-life laws. In the 117th Congress, over 80 percent of the Republican conference supported life at conception initiatives, including H.R. 1011 (Rep. Mooney, R-WV) and Discharge Petition #16 (Rep. Good, R-VA).
The Life Act punishes abortionists, but it protects health care providers acting in good faith to save a woman’s life. It also ensures that ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and stillbirths can still be appropriately treated. The bill also specifically protects:
- A mother whose life is endangered by a physical illness;
- A woman’s ability to access contraception used prior to fertilization; and
- A mother from being prosecuted for the death of her own child and grants civil remedies in certain circumstances.
As a condition of accepting dollars for administering federally regulated health care programs, the provider would not be able to perform an abortion. This would apply to Medicaid, CHIP, Indian Health Service, Veterans Health Administration, TRICARE, and Title X. It also prohibits federally regulated health plans from covering abortions. This includes employer-sponsored plans regulated under the Employee Retirement and Income Security Act (ERISA), plans offered under Affordable Care Act and plans for federal employees.
Read more at The Daily Signal.
“Students for Life Action is a proud supporter of the Life Act. The Life Act is the legislation the whole pro-life movement is ultimately striving for, especially at Students for Life Action, because a humane and civil society takes care of all people, from conception to natural death. We are so proud to have worked with Rep. Good (R-VA) on this piece of strong pro-life legislation, and we will continue to fight to protect every child and mother from the injustice of abortion,” said Students for Life Action.
“We all have a duty to protect the unborn, especially as the Biden administration defies state laws to force its pro-abortion agenda on Americans. Children at every stage of life are relying on lawmakers to unite behind a robust pro-life policy agenda that both empowers women to choose life and defends those who are too young to have a voice. Heritage Action commends Rep. Bob Good for introducing the Life Act and encourages all members of Congress who care about life to support the bill,” said Janae Stracke, Heritage Action’s Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy.
“We know that life begins at the moment of conception. That’s why abortion at any stage is contrary to the founding principle of our nation – that every person is equal and has an inherent right to life. Congress has a duty to protect that right for every American, even the smallest babies in the womb. We commend Rep. Good and his colleagues for their efforts to do just that with the Life Act,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization.
Co-sponsors (3): Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT)
Supporting Groups: Students for Life Action, Heritage Action, Concerned Women for America, Live Action, National Pro-Life Alliance
