On Monday, Senate Democrats blocked an attempt to vote on a bill that would stop infanticide and provide medical assistance to babies born alive after a botched abortion. The Democrats filibustered the bill and a vote to end the Democratic filibuster was unsuccessful. The Senate voted 53-44 to end the filibuster in order to proceed to a vote on the bill itself, however 60 votes were required to end the filibuster. Every Republican who was present voted to end the filibuster. Senator Tim Scott and Senator Kevin Cramer were unable to attend the vote due to delayed flights. Democrats Joe Manchin, Bob Casey and Doug Jones also voted in favor of proceeding to vote on the bill itself, but the remaining Democrats voted against them. Republican Lisa Murkowski who is pro abortion did not vote.
It is worth noting that every Democrat currently planning to run for President in 2020 (Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand and Bernie Sanders) voted in favor of blocking the bill from proceeding to an actual vote.
“At a bare minimum, every one of us should be able to agree that infanticide, or the killing of a baby after it has been born alive, is unacceptable. This is a separate issue from abortion, which is abhorrent in itself,” said Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota.
Senator Steve Daines of Montana added: “We are not here to debate abortion. That is not what this bill is about . . . We are here today to decide whether or not it should be legal in the U.S. to kill or neglect an infant who has been born alive after a botched abortion.”
Senator Joni Ernst agreed, saying, “All my colleagues across the aisle are saying this about abortion, this is about a mother’s health care. That’s absolutely incorrect. We are talking about a human life. What this bill does is address the health care of a baby that is born alive after a botched abortion. We’re not talking about abortion, folks. We’re talking about the life of a child that is born.”
“There are only two sides of the debate on the floor debate tonight: You’re either for babies, or you’re defending infanticide,” said Senator Ben Sasse in his floor speech, according to the Washington Times. “That is actually what the legislation is that’s before us.”
“I don’t always follow the Democrats,” Senator Doug Jones said, according to the Washington Examiner of his decision to support the bill. “Having studied the bill I think it’s the right vote.”
President Trump called the vote “one of the most shocking votes in the history of Congress.”
