Bob Casey joins Republicans on bill to require medical care for abortion survivors

Morning Call (Allentown, PA)

Feb. 26-- Feb. 26--Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey joined Senate Republicans in an unsuccessful vote Monday night on a bill to provide additional medical protections if an infant survives an attempted abortion.

The Pennsylvania lawmaker was among 53 votes backing the legislation, which was co-sponsored by Sens. Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. It needed 60 senators in support to advance for debate on the Senate floor.

It was the latest example of the nuanced position Casey has carved out on reproductive rights throughout his career. He's one of the few remaining congressional Democrats to describe themselves as pro-life, and one of three Democratic "yes" votes Monday evening.

"I'm a pro-life Democrat, which means I support women and children before and after birth," Casey said in a statement released by his office. "I voted in favor of the motion to debate this measure. I will also continue to fight to protect Medicaid, which finances approximately 45 percent of all births in our nation, and funding for Planned Parenthood from far-right attacks."

The Senate vote comes after recent efforts by Democrats in New York and Virginia to make it easier to access a third-trimester abortion, pushing the hot-button issue back into the spotlight. Abortion-rights opponents seized on comments from the sponsor of a bill in Virginia -- who initially agreed when asked if her bill would allow an abortion when a woman is showing signs of labor -- and from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, accusing them of supporting infanticide.

Under the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, medical professionals would be required to provide the same level of care for an infant born after an attempted abortion as they would "for any other child born alive at the same gestational age." Those who do not would face up to five years in prison.

"This isn't about 'clumps of cells' or 'choice.' It's about breathing, kicking, squirming babies who are alive," Toomey and Sasse wrote in an op-ed published Monday in the Erie Times-News. "Do they deserve the protection of our laws? Or will we create a situation where some human beings count less than others -- where some human beings are disposable?"

Senate Democrats last month blocked an attempt to swiftly pass the measure, arguing that U.S. laws already prohibit infanticide. Abortion-rights supporters, including Planned Parenthood, criticized the measure as an attack on women's health and rights.

In announcing his support of the bill, Toomey also referenced former Philadelphia-area doctor Kermit Gosnell, who was sentenced to life in prison for murdering infants during late-term abortions.

Toomey opposes abortion rights, with exceptions for rape, incest and saving the life of the mother. During his first race for the U.S. House in 1998, Toomey supported a legal right to an abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy, but during his 2004 Senate bid, he said his view had shifted to fully opposing abortion.

In 2015, Toomey also co-sponsored a bill that would divert Planned Parenthood's support to other groups that provide women's health services.

Casey -- who is the son of former Gov. Bob Casey, the namesake of a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging Roe v. Wade -- also supports exceptions related to cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in danger.

He voted with Republicans last year on a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Casey also has voted in support of funding for Planned Parenthood, and opposes the Trump administration's new regulatory effort to block the organization from receiving federal money.

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