Everyone, no matter their political beliefs, should be able to agree that babies born alive after a failed abortion have the same right to protection as you or me. On Tuesday, September 10th, students joined community pro-lifers and took to Capitol Hill to lobby for the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and make that statement, loud and clear, in the halls of Congress.
Throughout the morning, we joined Priests for Life and Evangelist Alveda King (Dr. Martin Luther King’s niece) to make our voices heard for those who do not have a voice. We were able to lobby Democratic legislators who were on the fence or against signing the discharge petition for the Born Alive Act, trying to make them understand that this is common ground legislation; once a baby is born alive, their human rights are even more undeniable.
We sat down with a number of legislative staff, a few of whom took our talking points seriously and started a dialogue, and a few others who decided to continuously repeat, “The congressman/woman believes in a woman’s right to choose,” without any further conversation on the matter. Nonetheless, the students did an amazing job and stood as brave and bold witnesses for the preborn.
Clyde Guzman, a DC student who joined us on the Hill, stated:
“Engaging with the pro-life movement yesterday was an amazing experience and an unforgettable one as well. The lack of protection for babies born alive after an abortion is something that greatly troubles me and should trouble everyone. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, we can all find common ground and agree that abortion survivors deserve medical treatment.”
After lobbying, we joined legislators who gathered on Capitol Hill for the minority’s first hearing this session, which focused on the Born Alive Act as well.
I was there along with other students from across the Capital Area, and it was truly amazing to take part in the democratic process, as well as being able to witness a group of legislators come together to talk about an issue that has become ever more important for us to be talking about: the rights of babies born alive after abortion.
As the hearing proceeded, we heard from incredible leaders for the pro-life cause including Representative Ann Wagner, who sponsored the bill, dozens of other supportive legislators, and a panel of experts including, Dr. Robin Pierucci, a clinical neonatologist; Dr. Kathi Aultman, a board-certified OB-GYN, former abortionist, and former director of a Planned Parenthood; Jill Stanek, a nurse who spoke out when babies were being left to die after failed abortions at the hospital she used to work for; and Tessa Longbons with the Charlotte Lozier Institute. To watch their testimonies and the rest of the hearing, click here .
Throughout the hearing, many heart-wrenching stories were told of little ones who were not afforded their right life, or even their right to humane treatment in hospitals and facilities across America. Dozens of legislators poured in, making sure our questions were heard in such an important conversation. The room remained packed throughout the entire time. This issue is a real threat in our society these days, what with Governor Northam’s comments last year, claiming that once a baby is born, we can make the baby comfortable, and then “decide what to do from there.”
It is absolutely insane that we should have to be fighting against infanticide in our country at this point, but given the fact that the Born Alive Act has been brought up 80 times and BLOCKED by pro-abortion Democrats every time, most recently by Speaker Pelosi, it is clear that the Democratic Party has become way more extreme than we ever thought possible. We will continue to #ResistInfanticide in the halls of Congress, on our campuses, and in the streets of our states, protecting the right to life in America.
