Women's Healthcare

Floor Speech

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Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, we are here today to discuss two pieces of legislation that will be voted on tomorrow in the U.S. Senate. These two important bills address the issue of life, a most basic human right--the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

This first bill, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, would end the barbaric practice of late-term abortions after 5 months. It is a time, in fact, that the science tells us that babies feel pain.

The second bill, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, will protect babies who are born alive after surviving botched abortions.

These back-to-back votes will present an opportunity for every Senator and, more specifically, for nearly every one of the Senate Democrats to show the American people whether they believe there are any--any--limits to radical abortion practices.

I am joined this evening by several of my esteemed Senate colleagues and good friends: Senator Ernst of Iowa, Senator Sasse of Nebraska, and Senator Braun of Indiana. These folks, like me, know how important it is that we protect the sanctity of life and put an end to the cruel practice of late-term abortions and the horrific act of infanticide.

I founded the Senate Pro-Life Caucus last year because I believe the U.S. Senate needed to take bolder action to protect human life.

In fact, at the State of the Union Address, President Trump invited Ellie Schneider and her mother, from Missouri, as his guests. Ellie's mother stood proudly as the President shared their story and the miracle it was that Ellie was with us that night, healthy and thriving.

You see, Ellie was born at 21 weeks and 6 days. In fact, she is one of the youngest premature babies to survive in the United States. Despite the odds being stacked against her, Ellie was given a chance at life. Thanks to the grace of God, she is alive and she is healthy today.

Ellie's story and the stories of so many others like her underscore how important it is that we put an end to this very cruel practice of late-term abortion. It is heartbreaking to know that here in America-- in the United States of America--nearly 12,000 children a year are lost to late-term abortions.

At 20 weeks, science tells us, these babies can suck their thumbs. They can feel pain. They can yawn. They can stretch. They can make faces.

In fact, if you have a smartphone, if you are watching tonight, just Google 20weekbaby--2-0-W-E-E-K-B-A-B-Y. Here is one of the images that will show up on your smartphone. That is what a 20-week baby looks like.

It is unconscionable that preborn babies, after 5 months of pregnancy, can be killed, even though they are capable of feeling pain.

In fact, during this age, preborn babies are oftentimes given anesthesia if there is fetal surgery involved.

Now, here is one of the shocking statistics. The United States is only one of seven--seven--countries in the world, which include North Korea and China, that allow these barbaric late-term abortions after 20 weeks. That is a list we don't want to be on, but we are. As Americans, we must strive for better. This isn't political. This is about working to ensure that every single child has a chance at life.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is a commonsense bill and has overwhelming public support. Do you realize public attitude and opinion on abortion and late-term abortion keeps swinging in the pro- life direction? Why is that?

Well, perhaps one reason is because technology has gotten so much better, and 3D ultrasounds give us such a clear picture of what is happening there in the womb.

Look at this picture right here. The images are very clear. I believe in a principle that people believe what they discover for themselves. Technology is helping young people see that what we are talking about here is a baby. It is life.

Sixty-two percent of voters oppose late-term abortion. This bill is something that I firmly believe every Republican and every Democrat can get behind. Why can't we at least come together on late-term abortion and banning it? Passing this bill would be a major step forward for the pro-life cause.

The next bill we are voting on tomorrow is the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

Back home in Montana, this piece of legislation moved through our State legislature up to our Governor's desk. It was called the ``Baby Born Alive'' bill. It is the same thing. It mandates that if a baby is born alive following a botched abortion, the doctor must protect that baby and give the same medical care that any other baby would receive.

Is that really too much to ask for? Honestly, the fact that we are having this debate on the floor of the U.S. Senate is astonishing. The American people agree. In fact, 77 percent of pro-abortion advocates believe that babies born alive should be medically protected.

Sadly, today there are States that do not offer protections for babies born alive. In fact, just earlier this month, in Colorado, State legislators killed a bill that would grant legal protections for babies born alive after abortions.

I would like to turn to my colleague from Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst. She has been an unwavering, relentless champion for life, and she has been a dear friend. She is a great colleague and a great leader on this issue of protecting the most vulnerable--these little babies.

Senator Ernst, would you agree with me that Senate Democrats should join us in voting for these commonsense bills that protect innocent human life?

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Mr. DAINES. Senator, thank you, and thanks for your very moving story about Micah Pickering. It helps to take these ideas and translate them directly into these children today, whom you can see there as a little baby.

There are critics of the born-alive bill who would say this horrible act that we described here tonight simply doesn't happen. For those who say that, they should talk to somebody named Melissa Oden. In fact, just last year when we had the born-alive bill on the floor of the Senate, I was coming down to speak on behalf of the bill. I was just about maybe 50 feet from where I am standing right now, outside the doors of the Senate, as I was making my way to speak, and guess who was standing outside the door of the Senate. It was Melissa Oden. She is a beautiful mother today. She survived a saline-infusion abortion as a little baby at about 5 months. She was left for dead, and she was discarded--this was in Kansas City, MO--until a hospital nurse heard her little cries. This nurse saved Melissa's life, for which we are very thankful. It was quite an experience to meet her just outside these Chamber doors. Now Melissa herself is a mother.

I believe we have a duty, an obligation to protect life and particularly the most innocent life and the most vulnerable life, like a little baby who can be born alive as a result of a botched abortion attempt.

It is my hope that the Members of this body, Republicans and Democrats, will vote to support and defend this most basic human right and recognize that late-term abortions--I recognize this is a very divisive issue in this country, but I would think that on the issue of late-term abortions, on the issue of babies born alive as a result of botched abortions--can we at least come together where public opinion overwhelmingly supports both and say, let's stop these barbaric practices. These are extreme positions. They should be outlawed in this country. We can no longer simply stand by as our children--we talk about children in this country losing their lives to abortion and infanticide.

As Americans, we have an obligation to honor our Nation's founding promise enshrined in our Declaration of Independence that all men and all women and all human life are created equal and endowed by our Creator with these certain inalienable rights--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Think about it this way: Of these important rights, you can't have liberty and the pursuit of happiness without first having the right to life. This right to life is the first and most important of these inalienable rights.

So I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting these commonsense bills to stop this brutal violence of late-term abortions of pain- capable babies. That is why it is called the Pain-Capable Act. Babies are capable of feeling pain at about 20 weeks. That is why, when in utero surgery is performed, they administer anesthesia--because the baby is feeling pain. That is where we are drawing the line with these bills to stop late-term abortion and also babies who are born alive-- which isn't about abortion; this is about infanticide. We must protect these innocent babies, standing for life, standing for those who are most vulnerable.

I see that my colleague from Nebraska, Senator Sasse, has come to the floor. Senator Sasse authored the baby born alive bill. I am grateful Senator Sasse is joining us here tonight in this colloquy.

Senator Sasse, can you explain the importance of passing the bill you have authored?

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