In The News

Long before I had the honor and privilege to serve as West Michigan’s representative in Congress, I made a commitment to always promote a culture that respects life. Every child — created in the image of God — deserves the right to make their impact on this world.

As a member of the bipartisan pro-life caucus, I remain steadfast in my defense of the unborn. Together, we are working to prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions; promote quality care centers over abortion facilities; and advocate against gruesome, late-term abortions.

In the midst of what is happening in states such as New York and Virginia, I am saddened and shocked that we no longer just have to fight for the lives of the unborn but we now have to fight to defend the lives of newborns who have survived an abortion attempt. These are infants who have already taken their first breaths and announced their entry into this world with a few loud, beautiful cries.

In New York, they passed a law that would allow an unborn child to be aborted only moments before birth and celebrated its passage by lighting the One World Trade Center pink. This icon of remembrance was ironically and tragically turned into a symbol of death.

Sadly, New York isn’t alone. In Virginia, the sitting governor openly discussed keeping newborns comfortable while the doctor and parents debate infanticide, especially in cases where the child may have “severe deformities.”

And in Washington, D.C., Democrats are opposing legislation that would require physicians to exercise the same degree of professional skill and care to preserve a life of the newborn after an abortion attempt, as they would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age.

It was only a few short years ago when America witnessed the atrocities inside abortion provider Kermit Gosnell’s “house of horrors.” Former employees of this late-term abortionist came forward to discuss the sickening number of born-alive babies that were killed in his clinic. Prosecutors estimated this number to be in the hundreds.

More recently, a former registered nurse at a hospital in Illinois testified before Congress about her experience discovering born-alive babies who were placed in a soiled utility closet to die. In one case, she held an abortion survivor for 45 minutes until the 21-week-old baby, who was aborted because he had Down syndrome, died.

These horrific and tragic stories are not playing out in some fictional novel, they are happening here in America. And sadly, some are condoning it.

I am committed to creating a culture that protects and values life, from conception to natural death, which is why I have cosponsored the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that these living and breathing abortion survivors are given the opportunity to fight for life.

Recently, this legislation was rejected by Democrats in the Senate and it is currently being denied a vote in the House by Speaker Pelosi. In addition to requiring proper and equal care to a child born at the same gestational age, this bill would also require that the child is immediately transported and admitted to a hospital.

I know there are people reading this column right now that are pro-choice. I am staunchly pro-life. While we may disagree on the overarching issue, I believe that there is an overwhelming majority that believes the actions in New York and Virginia, and the ongoing discussions in Washington are grossly out of touch with West Michigan and our nation’s values.

Let’s rise above the rhetoric and look inside ourselves. Together, we can save these precious lives. Let’s give these children a fighting chance at life.

About the writer: U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, represents Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Ottawa County.

"In Defense of Born-Alive Survivors" is available here on the Grand Haven Tribune Website.