Just days prior to blocking Republican attempts to ban infanticide, Democrats demanded the right to life for kittens being used for research purposes. Of course, the humane treatment of animals is important and protecting kittens from cruelty, violence, and death is a laudable action. However, the tremendous irony cannot be ignored. H.R. 962, also known as the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act ensures that a baby born alive after a botched or attempted abortion must be offered the same basic rights to healthcare as any other newborn.
Democrats blocked an attempt to vote on this bill last Thursday, sending a sickening message to the American public that Democrats care more about kittens than kids.
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkely from Oregon introduced the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now — or KITTEN – Act would end the euthanizing of kittens after they have been used for research purpose, however it would not end the research itself. “The USDA’s decision to slaughter kittens after they are used in research is an archaic practice and horrific treatment, and we need to end it,” Merkley said.
“The KITTEN Act will protect these innocent animals from being needlessly euthanized in government testing, and make sure that they can be adopted by loving families instead,” said Merkley.
Conversely, on Thursday, House Democrats again blocked an attempt by House Republicans to initiate a vote on the bill. This now makes the eighteenth time that House Democrats have blocked the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
At the time of refusing the vote on the bill, House Democrats claimed that there is no bipartisan agreement to bring the bill up for a vote, yet Republicans have repeatedly asked Democrats to come to an agreement in order to bring the bill up for a vote. This is the nineteenth time in total that Democrats have blocked a bill to provide care and treatment for babies born alive after an abortion. The bill has been blocked eighteen times in the House. Additionally, Democrats have blocked the bill twice in the Senate.
Again, treating animals humanely is an important topic, but something is gravely wrong when we prioritize the lives of kittens over the lives of kids.
