Center for Reproductive Rights Condemns House Passage of H.R. 4712
(PRESS RELEASE) Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4712, the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” a bill that amends the Born Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 by adding harsh criminal penalties for medical providers who fail to comply with vague and unnecessary requirements. The bill is intended to discourage abortion providers from treating patients and thus, prevent women from accessing safe, medically appropriate care.
Said Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights: “This bill is yet another in a line of political attacks by Congress on access to safe, legal abortion care. By spending time on this offensive and unnecessary bill, amidst countless other pressing issues before them, leaders in the House of Representatives are making clear that they care more about stigmatizing abortion care, shaming women, and scaring reproductive health care providers than they do about addressing the real problems facing our nation.” The vote falls days before the 45th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that guaranteed women’s right to safe and legal abortion. The Court has reaffirmed this right over and over again, most recently in 2016’s historic Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt decision.
