During debate on Alfie’s Law in the Iowa Senate, House Republicans were criticized by an unlikely source for their inability to pass pro-life legislation.
Sen. Tony Bisignano (D-Des Moines) pointed out the only reason a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion could be performed was added to Alfie’s Law is because of House Republicans failed to pass the Protect Life Amendment.
Bisignano said Alfie’s Law was a good bill. But then the 24-hour waiting period had to be added since the House Republicans couldn’t pass the Protect Life Amendment.
Bisignano called the 24-hour waiting period a bronze medal for the House.
“Because they didn’t have the courage to do the amendment that they were probably supporting when they ran,” he said. “I think that’s probably why they’re there. Or you’re not sitting here probably if that’s not your issue and you’re not going to be loyal to that cause. And I understand that.
But why are we taking a vote when we passed the constitutional amendment? Not with my vote, but as a chamber, we passed it. You stood up for what you believed – honorable. That’s what you’re sent here to do. Vote the way you’re sent here by your constituents. And Sen. Schultz, you do. You certainly do.
And we’re going to take this vote just to get them off the hook. Four-thirty in the morning, you know where they’re at? They’re sleeping. They’re sleeping, and you’re taking the shot for them because they couldn’t muster the support that you wanted, so we’re giving them a second bite so when they go to re-election they can say ‘hey, we voted to bring it down to 24 hours.’ That’s the gift. Whatever we got for that, I don’t know, that’s an inside deal. But you don’t generally do what you’re doing here at this hour unless it was all part of the master trade, and I understand that.”
Bisignano then talked about an adoption bill he wanted to see pass, which had The FAMiLY Leader’s support, before returning to the House Republicans.
“But then kill it, and then sneak in a trojan horse to vote on abortion restriction to 24 hours so they got an excuse to send out a mailing instead of doing their job of passing the constitutional amendment,” Bisignano said. “This is appalling.”
Instead of bringing up the adoption bill, which would’ve provided bipartisanship on the life issue, they took a bill that was good and focused on kids being taken off life-saving measurers and ruined it.
“We turned it into a political joke,” Bisignano said. “Shame it. We shamed the bill. That isn’t why we brought it up. We don’t care about kids on life support in that bill. It was a vehicle to let (House Republicans) off the hook. You took your vote, you stood your ground, you did what you believed in. They’re not. And here we are while they sleep trying to cover them. Wrong move.
“We took the low road instead of the high road.”
