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A Year Of Pro-Life Victories – Congressman Bob Goodlatte

 

Each January men and women across the country mourn the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade. They mourn the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives taken by abortions each year and the indifference of a culture that has turned away from its fundamental values.

Many of these brave people demonstrate their opposition to abortion by participating in the March for Life – like thousands of Americans, many from the Shenandoah Valley, did on Friday in Washington. With each step, they solidify their support for the unborn and their commitment to human dignity.

This year, however, they also have much to celebrate.

In 2017, for the first time in nearly a decade, we witnessed the transition to a new era: a federal government united for the cause of life. During the past 12 months, Congress and the Administration have worked together to protect the most vulnerable among us. What a difference one year can make.

Last January, the White House issued an executive order prohibiting foreign aid to organizations that provide or promote abortions outside the United States. The same month, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7, an important bill that bans the use of taxpayer funds for abortions.

Then, the House of Representatives passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, or Micah’s Law. This bill is named after Micah Pickering, who was delivered at 22 weeks and has grown to a happy, healthy five-year-old boy. This bill increases restrictions on abortions after 20 weeks post-fertilization, a point at which there is agreement that unborn children can feel pain.

The House Judiciary Committee also held a hearing examining a bill that would protect unborn children as soon as a heartbeat is detected.

On Friday, the 45th anniversary of the March for Life, the House of Representatives passed the Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., ensures that any child born alive during an abortion procedure receives the same degree of professional care to save the life of the child that any other child born alive at the same gestational age would receive.

The Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act also establishes criminal penalties for those who kill babies born alive or harm them to attempt to harvest body parts, while protecting women who receive abortions from being prosecuted.

These actions from Congress and the White House represent a dramatic shift towards embracing a culture of life. However, there is much work left to be done. Many of these important bills still await action in the Senate before they can be signed into law.

As I reflect on the March for Life and the support of Americans across the country for the unborn, I feel optimistic that we can achieve great successes with a unified vision of life and liberty. I pledge my support to continue to fight for life and for the protection of our most vulnerable.

Bob Goodlatte represents the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia, which includes Rockingham County and Harrisonburg, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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