Press Releases

Rep. Steve Russell (OK-5) today voted for H.R. 4712, the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. H.R. 4712 establishes criminal penalties for practitioners who intentionally kill or harm a baby born alive or attempt to harvest body parts.

This legislation is an important step toward ensuring that children born alive during an abortion procedure receive the same professional care as any other child born alive. After the horrific Kermit Gosnell trial a few years ago, the House has continued to improve protections for women and their children. This pro-life bill ensures medical care and legal protection for abortion survivors, holds abortionists accountable, and protects their mothers from prosecution. Mothers who receive an abortion will not be prosecuted, and have grounds to file civil action.

Rep. Russell commented on voting in support of H.R. 4712, stating: “This bill protects American children from being murdered after their birth under the auspices of abortion. Saving millions of innocent babies is a moral issue. As a father of five children, three of whom are adopted, there is always someone to love and care for them. At the 45th Annual March for Life today, the citizens of this republic demonstrate their disgust at the practice of abortion. Born alive abortion is murder- plain and simple. Our society must protect these vulnerable, innocent lives from this abominable barbarity.”