Republican House Introduces Pro-Life Companion Bill Protecting Babies from Late-Term Abortion

Republican Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) on Tuesday introduced a pro-life measure protecting babies from the radical left’s attempts to normalize late-term abortion, serving as a companion bill to the Senate’s Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act.

Smith, along with Reps. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Andy Harris (R-MD) and Kat Cammack (R-FL), introduced the pro-life measure designed to protect pain-capable babies in the womb.

“In considering the use of anesthesia for invasive medical procedures performed on the fetus, evidence has concluded that from as early as 12 weeks and certainly by 15 weeks gestational age on ward, the fetus is extremely sensitive to painful stimuli, making it necessary to apply adequate analgesia and anesthesia to prevent fetal suffering,” the bill reads in part, explaining how the baby is able to feel pain at that point, as the science shows.

“Consequently, there is substantial medical evidence that an unborn child is capable of experiencing pain at least by 15 weeks gestational age, if not earlier. Abortion carries significant physical and psychological risks to the pregnant woman, and these physical and psychological risks increase with gestational age,” the bill adds, noting that the majority of abortions performed at 15 weeks are dismemberment abortions “which involve the use of surgical instruments to crush and tear the unborn child apart before removing the pieces of the dead child from the womb.”

Read the bill here.

“Thanks to incredible progress made in science, we now know that by at least 15 weeks unborn babies killed by abortion experience excruciating suffering and physical pain,” Smith said in a statement.

“Our legislation responds to the scientific advances already recognized in fetal medicine by increasing human rights protection for these children,” he added.

According to the press release, the Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act “updates an earlier version of legislation authored by Smith to reflect compelling evidence that unborn babies feel excruciating pain sooner than previously known.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the same legislation on Tuesday.

“Should we as a nation be aborting babies that can feel excruciating pain from an abortion?” he asked, making the announcement surrounded by pro-life leaders.