OPINION:
This message is directed to the U.S. Congress and all pro-life voters:
The time has come that we all must strongly demand, after 45 years of destroying our children with the brutal act of abortion, that our U.S. Congress must enact a law that truly has the real impact to stop this savagery.
Yes, every session our Congress passes an incremental bill that brings the pro-life movement about an inch down the field. They have used this approach to placate the pro-life vote for decades. But after 45 years of “abortion on demand” — and a body count of 60 million innocent children — we can no longer be satisfied with a weak, do-little or nothing law against abortion.
For us to trust the congressional “pro-life” rhetoric, we must see real protection for the babies. Then we will back you with the strength of our vote and support.
My greatest regret on leaving Congress is that we didn’t end abortion. But I believed the lie still being told that we could only regulate the abortion industry. We passed laws that took us a very incremental step at a time. That approach was and is a total failure.
If you disagree, just look at the results: 60 million dead babies.
Today, National Right to Life, the only national group that doesn’t support the Heartbeat Bill’s substantial protection for unborn children, thinks “success” is to kill only a million children a year. We reject the establishment’s approach.
We also reject those who have the thoughtlessness to continue it. We have more than enough blood on our hands and Congress has the means to stop this loss in nearly every case.
Congress is planning to vote on Friday, Jan. 19, on another bill that will not prevent one abortion.
However, they have the opportunity to pass a bill with real protection for the babies this year, getting us within reach of our goal. It is HR 490, The “Heartbeat Bill.” The Heartbeat Bill will protect every child whose heartbeat can be detected. Every year the Heartbeat Bill will save nearly a million children now facing the ultimate child abuse. This common-sense bill is supported by 7 out of 10 voters in America (George Barna poll, 2017). This bill already has 170 congressional co-sponsors, which is more than any other pro-life bill in Congress.
But rather than protect nearly every child from abortion, our Congress is planning to pass a bill that won’t prevent a single abortion. Congress announced a plan to tweak a law which was signed by President George W. Bush in 2002. The bill is called, “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.” It says, “if your method of abortion doesn’t succeed and the baby survives then you can’t finish him or her off.”
They must care for the not quite fatally wounded victim. In other words, one had better make sure to kill the baby on the first attempt, because a second attempt to kill the child will be against the law.
It is remarkable and regrettable that we are still having to fight abortion in a country that has always enjoyed a reputation for protecting the weak and helpless.
It is our responsibility, to let our congressmen and congresswomen know how important it is to protect our most fragile new citizens from harm. We must save every baby whose heart is beating.
I am often reminded of the story of a young man who just learned that he had a fatal disease. On his knees he prayed: “Dear Lord, When are you going to send us a man or woman that will discover the cure for cancer?”
The Lord answered in a soft, sad voice, “I did, several times, but they were aborted.”
• Tom DeLay is a former Republican U.S. representative from Texas and House Majority leader.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.