Tell your House Representative to sign the discharge petition to force a vote on the Born-Alive Bill
Note: On April 2 the discharge petition was introduced. Congressional Members will be able to add their names on it at any time during the current Congress. Therefore we have to keep the pressure on them for months to come until there are enough signatures. Go here to see if your Rep has signed it.
March 20, 2019
Dear Friends,
Republicans in the House of Representatives continue to insist on a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, that would protect children born alive after a failed abortion.
We need to support these Republican defenders of life!
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, (R-CA) are urging every American with a conscience to call their member of the House of Representatives to ask them to sign what’s called a discharge petition.
The petition is a parliamentary procedure that requires at least 218 signatures from House members to ensure that the Democrat leadership brings the bill to the floor for debate and a vote.
There are currently 235 Democrats in the House, and 197 Republicans. We need every Republican to sign the petition, and we need at least 21 Democrats with the courage to cross the political divide and sign this life-saving bill.
I am asking you to call your House member, Republican or Democrat, to tell them you expect them to sign the discharge petition.
House Republicans have been requesting a vote on H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, during every day the House is in session. The Democrats lean on parliamentary procedure to ignore these requests. The discharge petition is another way to try to bring this life-saving bill for a vote.
At a press conference about the discharge petition, Rep. Chris Smith, a Republican pro-life stalwart from New Jersey, pointed out that the bill has nothing to do with abortion, nor will it seek to punish mothers whose attempts to abort their children have failed.
“There’s no way she will be prosecuted,” Rep. Smith said of mothers in such a circumstance, “but it creates a standard of care that that child who is born during the abortion process … should be treated just like any other preemie, rushed to a hospital [and] given the kind of resuscitation and care that any other preemie would receive. We hope that the House and we call on Speaker Pelosi, as a matter of humanitarianism, to bring up this very important, life-saving bill.”
Please click here to find out how to contact your representative in Congress.
And please forward this email to everyone you know who may be interested in helping!
Thank you!
Father Frank Pavone
National Director,Priests for Life
P.S. This is the type of action that Priests for Life can take nationwide as we mobilize our movement. To help make it possible for Priests for Life to conduct campaigns such as this one, please click here and be as generous as you can.