On Monday, the United States Senate cast a vote for the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. This bill stated doctors who failed to provide proper medical care for infants born alive from botched abortion would face conviction.

The bill failed to pass the Senate at a 53-44 vote, with all but three Democratic senators voting against it. This move was met with harsh backlash from people across the political spectrum, with abortion advocates pushing a false narrative as to why this bill was voted down. One particular narrative has caught the media's attention and caused a level of confusion among pro-life voters.

On Tuesday, Megan McCain, co-host of The View, made a bold statement condemning Democrats defense of infanticide and was met with some confrontation from colleague and co-host Sunny Hostin. Hostin claimed the Democratic leaders voted down the bill because it was unnecessary due to a bill passed by George W. Bush in the early 2000s. This claim has led many to believe the new bill was simply a ploy by Republicans to make it seem as though Democrats support the idea of infanticide.

The real question voters are now asking is, do we have a legitimate need for further protection of these infants?

The 2002 bill, signed by president Bush is outdated to say the least. During house judiciary hearings in 2001 and 2002, multiple hospital employees testified to seeing infants left to die after botched abortion procedures, which swayed a unanimous Senate vote to pass the bill. The new law stated that doctors must make every effort to provide these infants with medical care or face liability, but it was left unclear as to how harsh the punishment would be if caught. The bill also had very specific outlines for what “born alive” meant and what characteristics a child had to be showing in order to obtain medical care.

“who after such expulsion or extraction breathes or has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles..”

The 2019 bill increased the stakes of doctors and medical staff by threatening imprisonment for neglecting to provide born infants with proper medical care. The text also clarified this medical care was to be given at a hospital immediately following birth to ensure the child's best chances of survival, unlike the 2002 bill, which left “emergency care” up the interpretation.

In 2015, The Center for Medical Progress released an interview with a former technician who claimed babies born alive had their brains harvested. According to an investigation by a special House panel, intact fetal brains sell for almost $3,500. One could argue a simple liability fine would be worth the intact fetal parts harvested from born alive infants.

While the 2019 Born Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act has been labelled unnecessary and extreme by abortion defenders, the reality is it is an up-to-date adjustment for our knowledge of the abortion industry and its horrors.