– James Dobson, Ph.D.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Yesterday, Feb. 25, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act sponsored by Senator Ben Sasse (R., Neb.). Senate Democrats blocked the Republican-backed bill 53-44, leaving it seven votes short of the 60-vote threshold required to overcome a legislative filibuster. The measure received support from three Democrats (Casey-PA, Manchin-WV, and Jones-AL) while three Republicans did not vote (Cramer-ND, Murkowski-AK, Tim Scott-SC). Scott and Cramer's absences were reportedly due to travel delays. Senate bill S.311 would have guaranteed that any child born alive in the context of an abortion would be provided full legal protection as a living human being and, therefore, receive medical treatment to save the child's life. There is currently no federal law which requires medical professionals to provide treatment for children born alive after attempted abortions, and as of 2014, only 26 states had laws mandating medical care in such instances. Furthermore, New York's recently passed Reproductive Health Act (RHA) removed that state's protection for children that are born alive after an abortion.
Dr. James Dobson issues the following statement in reaction to the failed Senate vote:
See How Your Senators Voted
YEAs—53
Alexander(R-TN)
Barrasso(R-WY)
Blackburn(R-TN)
Blunt(R-MO)
Boozman(R-AR)
Braun(R-IN)
Burr(R-NC)
Capito(R-WV)
Casey(D-PA)
Cassidy(R-LA)
Collins(R-ME)
Cornyn(R-TX)
Cotton(R-AR)
Crapo(R-ID)
Cruz(R-TX)
Daines(R-MT)
Enzi(R-WY)
Ernst(R-IA)
Fischer(R-NE)
Gardner(R-CO)
Graham(R-SC)
Grassley(R-IA)
Hawley(R-MO)
Hoeven(R-ND)
Hyde-Smith(R-MS)
Inhofe(R-OK)
Isakson(R-GA)
Johnson(R-WI)
Jones(D-AL)
Kennedy(R-LA)
Lankford(R-OK)
Lee(R-UT)
Manchin(D-WV)
McConnell(R-KY)
McSally(R-AZ)
Moran(R-KS)
Paul(R-KY)
Perdue(R-GA)
Portman(R-OH)
Risch(R-ID)
Roberts(R-KS)
Romney(R-UT)
Rounds(R-SD)
Rubio(R-FL)
Sasse(R-NE)
Scott(R-FL)
Shelby(R-AL)
Sullivan(R-AK)
Thune(R-SD)
Tillis(R-NC)
Toomey(R-PA)
Wicker(R-MS)
Young(R-IN)
NAYs—44
Bennet(D-CO)
Blumenthal(D-CT)
Booker(D-NJ)
Brown(D-OH)
Cantwell(D-WA)
Cardin(D-MD)
Carper(D-DE)
Coons(D-DE)
Cortez Masto(D-NV)
Duckworth(D-IL)
Durbin(D-IL)
Feinstein(D-CA)
Gillibrand(D-NY)
Harris(D-CA)
Hassan(D-NH)
Heinrich(D-NM)
Hirono(D-HI)
Kaine(D-VA)
King(I-ME)
Klobuchar(D-MN)
Leahy(D-VT)
Markey(D-MA)
Menendez(D-NJ)
Merkley(D-OR)
Murphy(D-CT)
Murray(D-WA)
Peters(D-MI)
Reed(D-RI)
Rosen(D-NV)
Sanders(I-VT)
Schatz(D-HI)
Schumer(D-NY)
Shaheen(D-NH)
Sinema(D-AZ)
Smith(D-MN)
Stabenow(D-MI)
Tester(D-MT)
Udall(D-NM)
Van Hollen(D-MD)
Warner(D-VA)
Warren(D-MA)
Whitehouse(D-RI)
Wyden(D-OR)
Not Voting—3
Murkowski(R-AK)
Scott(R-SC)
