Today, Congressman Michael Cloud signed a discharge petition in an effort to compel House leadership to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to the floor for a vote.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 619), introduced by Congresswoman Ann Wagner (MO-02) and cosponsored by Congressman Cloud, would ensure that babies born alive despite an abortion attempt are guaranteed life-saving medical care.

The bill would penalize the killing of a child born alive and require medical practitioners to offer the same care to an abortion survivor that they would for any other child born prematurely. After those efforts, the health care workers must transport and admit the child to a hospital.

It would also protect mothers from prosecution and give the mother a legal cause of action against the abortion provider, recognizing that motherhood has inherent dignity that should be upheld.

Currently, 24 states do not offer protections for born-alive infants.

“No child born alive even during a botched abortion should be denied crucial medical care and left to die,” said Congressman Cloud. “The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would ensure that newborn abortion survivors are guaranteed life-saving care. We must uphold the dignity and inherent worth of human life at every stage.”

The discharge petition is in response to Democrat leadership blocking this bill from an up or down vote on the floor. Congressman Cloud signed the same petition in the 116th Congress as Democrat leadership refused to allow a vote on the Born-Alive Act then as well.

During the 116th Congress, the Born-Alive discharge petition set a record for the most signatures within 24 hours of a discharge petition being introduced. Every single House Republican and three House Democrats signed the petition.

Once the discharge petition receives 218 signatures, it would prevent Democrats from blocking the bill from reaching the floor.

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