U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Wednesday delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Mr. President, later today the Senate will proceed to a vote on whether to move to the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
“It’s a simple bill, Mr. President.
“It simply states that a baby born alive after an attempted abortion must be given the same protection and medical care that any other newborn baby would be given.
“That’s it.
“A baby born alive after an attempted abortion must be given the same protection and medical care that any other newborn baby would be given.
“Mr. President, this shouldn’t be a controversial bill.
“We should all be able to agree that a baby born alive after an attempted abortion must be protected.
“And yet I fully expect that later today, my Democrat colleagues will vote no on this legislation.
“They will vote against protection for a living, breathing newborn baby simply because that child has been born alive after an attempted abortion.
“Now, why are they going to vote like that, Mr. President?
“After all, I think most Democrats would still claim to oppose infanticide – even if the moral line at times appears to be slipping.
“And yet Democrats are going to vote against legislation to provide appropriate medical care to living, breathing newborn children.
“I’m sure they’ll offer some vague justifications for their opposition – like keeping the decision between a woman and her doctor, even when the decision we’re talking about is denying a child appropriate medical care.
“But, Mr. President, I think it’s safe to say that what it all boils down to is this:
“Democrats will oppose legislation to provide appropriate medical care to newborn children who survive abortions because they are afraid.
“They are afraid if they recognize the humanity of a living, breathing, born baby in an abortion clinic, they might end up pointing to the humanity of the unborn baby in the abortion clinic.
“That’s what this boils down to.
“Democrats are afraid that by recognizing the humanity of the newly born child, they will inadvertently point to the humanity of the unborn child.
“And I do understand where they’re coming from.
“After all, once you recognize the humanity of the newly born baby, it gets a little harder to say that that child wasn’t human just a few minutes ago simply because he or she wasn’t yet born.
“And so because there is nothing more important to Democrats than abortion, they will vote against legislation to provide appropriate medical care to babies born alive in an abortion clinic, just in case such a law ends up jeopardizing their cherished, quote, ‘right’ to an abortion.
“And I think this should make Democrats – frankly, Mr. President, should make all of us – think.
“When the supposed right to kill unborn babies starts motivating you to vote against protections for born babies, perhaps you should start questioning the whole abortion project.
“Because if there’s one thing the controversy over this bill demonstrates, it is this:
“Once you start denying the humanity of some groups of human beings, once you start saying that some human beings’ lives aren’t worth as much as other human beings’ lives, you jeopardize respect for all human lives.
“And so we now find ourselves at a point where nearly 50 percent of the United States Senate is unable to clearly state the humanity and value of the born child.
“Where nearly 50 percent of the United States Senate is going to vote against protection not just for unborn children, but for born babies as well.
“I’ve got to say, Mr. President, this is a disturbing place we’ve gotten to.
“And I hope – I sincerely hope – it will lead us to reflect on what a lack of respect for unborn children’s lives has cost us.
“Mr. President, we are better than this.
“‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’
“Mr. President, I pray for a day when we fully live up to that promise, and when the right to life of every human being, born and unborn, is respected.”
