Treating Abortion Survivors Humanely

Floor Speech

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Mr. LUTTRELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss H.R. 26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act that passed out of the House last week unanimously on one side but divided on the other, except for one vote from a colleague from Texas.

I understand that the Nation is divided on the topic of abortion, but that is not what this bill is. This bill is to protect a living soul that survived a traumatic event.

This is one that I have been losing sleep over, and I wanted to add my perspective from someone who fought in two wars. What I don't understand is why we are divided because when I was overseas and my teammates and I, my brothers and sisters in arms, were actively engaging the Taliban, al-Qaida, ISIS, and at any moment, whether it was an ambush or an IED, if a hostile act was being presented to us and that individual relinquished their weapons, decreased their aggressive posture, we were to do the exact same.

If that terrorist, if that individual, was injured or shot, we were to render medical aid. We were to act humanely even after they just tried to kill us. If necessary, we would life-flight them to the same hospital that an American soldier would go to, period.

That rule of law was passed out of this body unanimously. Every Member in this House demanded that American soldiers treat every human humanely, period.

That rule protects individuals that, because of the color of your skin, they would crucify, torture, and kill you; that because of your religious practices, if it was not in accordance with theirs, they would lock you in a cage and throw you in a lake. If they did not agree with who you were, what you were, and how you were, they would mercilessly hunt you down and execute you.

What I don't understand is how this body could unanimously pass a law that would protect somebody who absolutely despises our way of life, but we cannot come together to protect an innocent child that survived an abortion. I don't understand that.

I know that everyone in here is a mother, a father, a grandparent, an aunt, or an uncle, and at any moment walking down the street, if there was a child in duress, you would kill yourself to get to them and save them, but because this child survived abortion, you are going to turn your back and vote not to give them medical care.

If this ever presents itself back to this body, I humbly take a knee and ask that you change your vote and vote ``yes'' to protect these children.

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