Pro-Life Bill Blocked With "Help" From Two Republican Senators

Beware that you don’t only assign moral cowardice to those bearing the designation of “Democrat”. Unsurprisingly, being a Republican doesn’t keep someone from being spineless. This is quite obvious among the ranks of politicians, but there are times and matters of moral consideration which we may assume that Rs will side with their colleagues. Don’t hold your breath for [mc_name name=’Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’C001035′ ] of Maine and [mc_name name=’Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’K000360′ ] of Illinois, though. These Republicans joined with Senate Democrats and blocked the passage of a bill banning late-term abortions on Tuesday.

The Senate voted today to stop the Democrats’ filibuster of the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, legislation that would ban abortions after 20 weeks — as neither Congress nor state legislatures can vote to ban all abortions under Roe v. Wade. The bill highlights how unborn babies feel intense pain when they are killed in abortions. The vote comes at a time when 10 expose’ videos have exposed the Planned Parenthood abrogation business selling aborted babies and their body parts.

But Democrats defeated the cloture vote 54-42, with pro-life Senate Republicans not getting the 60 votes needed to end debate and proceed to a vote on the pro-life bill itself. Three Democrats joined with Republicans to support the pro-life bill, including Joe Manchin of West Virginia, [mc_name name=’Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’C001070′ ] of Pennsylvania and [mc_name name=’Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’D000607′ ] of Indiana. Two pro-abortion Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Mark Kirk of Illinois — voted with Democrats to support late-term abortions.

Remember the little limbs you’ve seen pushed around in casserole dishes in the videos from the Center for Medical Progress? Videos showing Planned Parenthood associates using terms like “crushing” and “less crunchy” when referring to the bodies of unborn babies?

At 13 weeks, a baby in the womb has its own set of fingerprints unique to them. Yet pro-aborts still deny fetal personhood to the unborn child, only willing to deem it a human life once the baby has taken its first breath on this side of the womb. At 20 weeks, “…the lungs are beginning to exhale amniotic fluid, and the circulatory and urinary systems are working. Hair on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes is filling in.” It was this gestational age which was the subject of the aforementioned legislation struck down by Democratic Senators and two Republicans. Conversely, three Democrats broke rank with their own and sided with Republicans.

I am not a one-issue voter in the sense that pro-life issues are all I care about, and I turn a blind eye to everything else. No, I believe there are many, many important things which politicians will affect and voters must weigh. However, I believe that the protection of life and defending the inhabitants in the womb is of utmost importance, and is foundational to society as a whole. We chant “Black Lives Matter!” and “Cops Lives Matter!” but forget that until unborn life matters, we are passing over several crucial steps. Perhaps if society felt just as much sorrow over the death of unborn children on the altar of “choice”, there would be a distinct change in the attitude towards other lives in the years following.

[mc_name name=’Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’H000338′ ], a pro-life Republican said:

“This bill recognizes the indisputable fact that each of us, including each individual member of the U.S. Senate, was a living human being before we were born. This bill reflects the indispensable principle that each individual member of the human family has inherent dignity and worth. Prohibiting the killing of innocent human beings who can feel pain is only a small step in the right direction, but it is a step that we must take.”

As far as Collins and Kirk are concerned, we must not reward any Republican who doesn’t stand for the unborn with an elected position or reelection to one. They’ve lost our support of their representation.

Had such a measure reached the Oval Office, President Obama would have vetoed it. His priorities are elsewhere, and he is no friend to the unborn. His moral cowardice is apparent regarding this subject, as well as many others. However, I don’t believe we should only fight for life when we are assured a victory in terms of yeas and nays, or in terms of political party backing. We should firmly plant our feet on this side of the line, do our all, and not be discouraged by setbacks.