On the recordSeptember 21, 2015
the image I am putting up right now beside me is the cover of Time magazine from June 2014, the first issue in June, June 2, 2014. According to the corresponding feature story, the baby on this cover, Emalyn Aubrey Randolph, was born prematurely at 29 weeks into the pregnancy. She weighed 2 pounds and 10 ounces. The legislation we are actually talking about today, unlike the legislation I just heard described--which we may very well talk about later--the legislation which we are talking about today and which we will vote on tomorrow takes us back only a few weeks before this cover-story baby was born at 29 weeks. We know of lots of cases after 20 weeks--where we have seen babies survive an early birth. In 2010, Freida Mangold was born at 21 weeks and 5 days into her mother's pregnancy. Both had complications. The baby was born, and after intensive care she was able to go home. In Florida in 2006, Amillia Taylor was delivered by an emergency C-section when she was 21 weeks and 6 days into that pregnancy. She received medical care and survived. In Iowa in 2012, Micah Pickering was born prematurely at 22 weeks and 1 day. Micah and her family are actually here visiting with the Senate tomorrow. Micah just turned 3 this past July. She will be meeting with Members of the Senate to talk about and to be the example that her parents will be talking about of what happened to a baby who was born 22 weeks and 1 day into the pregnancy.…
