Steve King votes to protect the lives of unborn children; women and doctors could be prosecuted for violating proposed law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve King celebrated the House passage of a pro-life bill he cosponsored that would protect the unborn and impose possible prison terms and other penalties for women and doctors who violate the law.

The legislation, H.R. 36, the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” seeks to end abortions after an unborn child has attained the post-fertilization age of 20 weeks. There is substantial medical evidence that an unborn child is capable of experiencing pain at least by 20 weeks after fertilization, if not earlier. Under the legislation, an abortionist killing an unborn baby during or past the 20th week could be subject to both criminal penalties and civil remedies. The “Pain-Capable” legislation passed the House of Representatives today on a vote of 237-189, with King voting in favor of passage.

The bill states:

This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus is 20 weeks or more.

A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.

The bill provides exceptions for an abortion: (1) that is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A physician who performs or attempts to perform an abortion under an exception must comply with specified requirements.

A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.

“Each one of these lives is so utterly precious, and we’re not going to stop,” said King. “We’re going to defend every life that we can; we’re going to protect every life we can. We’re going to do the right thing that we can for the babies that we can save.”

Background:

Pain receptors (nociceptors) are present throughout the unborn child’s entire body and nerves link these receptors to the brain’s thalamus and subcortical plate by no later than 20 weeks after fertilization.

By 8 weeks after fertilization, the unborn child reacts to touch. After 20 weeks, the unborn child reacts to stimuli that would be recognized as painful if applied to an adult human, for example, by recoiling.

America is one of 7 nations that allow elective abortion after 20 weeks (along with North Korea, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Netherlands and Canada.)

Congressman King has introduced H.R. 490, “The Heartbeat Protection Act” which would protect unborn babies prior to the 20 week threshold established in the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” Under the King legislation, “if a heartbeat is detected, the baby is protected.” King’s legislation currently has 168 cosponsors.