U.S. Bishops' Pro-Life Chairman Reacts to Senate Rejection of Pro-Life Bills

February 25, 2020

WASHINGTON - Earlier today, the U.S. Senate failed to advance the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S. 3275) and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (S. 311). In the Senate, 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster and advance a bill to a vote on passage. The Pain-Capable bill would protect unborn children from late-term abortions. It failed to advance by a vote of 53 to 44. The Born-Alive bill would prohibit infanticide by ensuring that a child born alive following an abortion would receive the same degree of care to preserve her life and health as would be given to any other child born alive at the same gestational age. It failed to advance by a vote of 56 to 41.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement in response:

“Today, the United States Senate failed to advance two critical human rights reforms that most Americans strongly support. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would ban abortions after 20 weeks post-fertilization when a child can certainly feel pain and has a reasonable chance of survival. And the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act helps ensure that Roe v. Wade's license to kill unborn children does not extend to killing the newborn babies who survive abortion. It is appalling that even one senator, let alone more than 40, voted to continue the brutal dismemberment of nearly full-grown infants, and voted against protecting babies who survive abortion. Our nation is better than this, and the majority of Americans who support these bills must make their voices heard.”

---
Keywords: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, Roe v. Wade, pro-life.

###
Media Contacts:
Chieko Noguchi  or Miguel Guilarte
202-541-3200