Sen. Cassidy Commends March for Life Activists, Announces Support for Pro-Life Bills

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 -- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release on Jan. 29, 2021:

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) commended Americans across the country for participating in today's March for Life to show their support for the pro-life movement.

Cassidy also announced his support for four major bills designed to protect the lives of unborn babies. These bills include the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, and the Born Alive Survivors Protection Act.

"The March for Life sends a message that Americans of all walks of life stand together to protect the lives of unborn children and mothers. I join them in this mission not only with my voice, but with my vote. The pro-life bills introduced this week in the Senate are designed to save lives, preserve good health and prevent taxpayer dollars from funding abortion activities," said Dr. Cassidy.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would provide common-sense protections for unborn children at 20 weeks after fertilization, a point at which there is significant scientific evidence that abortion inflicts tremendous pain on the unborn.

In addition to establishing a government-wide ban on federal funding for abortion, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would:

* Prohibit funding for health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion with funds authorized or appropriated by Federal law;

* Prohibit abortion in federal health facilities (such as DOD and VA hospitals) and ensure that no federal employee provides abortion services in the course of their employment;

* Make permanent the provisions of the D.C. Hyde Amendment, or the Dornan Amendment, which clarifies that the federal provisions regarding abortion funding also apply to the government of the District of Columbia;

* Ensure that elective abortion is not deductible for tax purposes by amending Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code; and

* Ensure that Affordable Care Act premium assistance subsidies provided in the form of refundable, advanceable tax credits are not used to pay for health insurance plans that include abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at risk.

The Title X Abortion Prohibition Act defunds Planned Parenthood and other elective abortion providers by excluding them from the Title X family planning program.

The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act requires that appropriate care be given to any child who survives an attempted abortion. The bill also allows federal murder charges to be brought against anyone who intentionally kills such a born-alive child.