Kelly reintroduces Heartbeat Protection Act, welcomes Pennsylvanians to Washington for March for Life
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) welcomed Pennsylvanians to Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life. Kelly, along with House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-MI), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) hosted a reception following the march.
"The March for Life provides a critical voice for the voiceless: the unborn," Rep. Kelly said. "I want to thank everyone who traveled from Western Pennsylvania to join the March today!"
The March for Life follows Rep. Kelly's reintroduction of the Heartbeat Protection Act, legislation that would prohibit abortions when an unborn child's heartbeat is detected. The bill, which Kelly previously introduced the legislation in the 117th and 118th Congresses, is co-led by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and has 31 co-sponsors.
"The Heartbeat Protection Act ensures the most vulnerable among us have the same life-affirming protections that every other American enjoys," Rep. Kelly said. "Our founders understood that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are our most fundamental rights. First among these is life. I'm proud to be leading this bill again, and I am committed to working every day to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Children may be only 25% of our population, but they are 100% of our future."
“As scientific and medical advancements continue to give us a greater understanding of the earliest stages of human life, the humanity of unborn children is more visible and simply irrefutable,” said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. “We know that unborn babies have a functional and detectable beating heart by 6 weeks gestational age—a powerful sign of our common humanity and dignity. The Heartbeat Protection Act is an important step toward replacing abortion violence with compassion and empathy for both women and their defenseless unborn children.”
Also, on Thursday, Kelly voted in favor of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, legislation which ensures that infants born alive after an attempted abortion receive the same protection of law and degree of care as any newborn. Kelly co-sponsored this legislation.
BACKGROUND
The Heartbeat Protection Act requires doctors to check for a fetal heartbeat before performing an abortion. Any physician who performs an abortion without checking for a heartbeat or aborts a child with a detected heartbeat would be subject to criminal penalties. This restriction would not apply to abortions that are necessary to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape and incest.
The Heartbeat Protection Act does not supersede existing life-affirming state laws but instead sets a minimum standard of unborn protection which states may go beyond should they choose. Women who obtain an abortion that violates this law would not be subject to prosecution.