Forty-one Democratic senators successfully blocked the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act on Tuesday, filibustering the legislation to prevent it from receiving a final vote. The bill would have required doctors to provide medical care to newborn infants who survive abortion procedures.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) criticized Democrats during the debate for not explaining why they would block a bill preventing infanticide:

"I urge my colleagues to picture a baby that's already been born, that's outside the womb gasping for air. That's the only thing that today's vote is actually about. We're talking about babies that have already been born. Nothing in this bill touches abortion access ...



There's nothing in the bill that's about abortion. Nothing. It's about infanticide. That's the actual legislation. And you've got 44 people over there who want to hide from it and talk in euphemisms about abortion because they don't want to defend the indefensible, because you can't defend the indefensible."

Three Democrats were among the 56 senators who voted in favor of the legislation. All three had previously voted for the bill last February. The three senators who are also presidential candidates — Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) — did not vote. They also voted against the legislation last year.