Madeleine Dean: “It is a crime now to kill a child born alive. In fact, in May of 2013, a Philadelphia man was convicted of first degree…”

“It is a crime now to kill a child born alive. In fact, in May of 2013, a Philadelphia man was convicted of first degree murder in the killing of three infants. He is now serving life without parole. Either my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are unaware of this already existing crime with a penalty of life without parole, or this is another extreme political stunt. Let me be clear: Abortion care is healthcare, and that has been true for a very long time. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not interested in medical truths. No. Instead, they are interested in scaring people, outlawing all abortions and criminalizing anyone they can. Politicians have no business making unsound medical decisions. We are legislators, not doctors. In the unfortunate case when a child is born with fatal disabilities, this legislation will deny parents a say in how their child spends the final minutes, hours, or days of his or her life, whether hooked up to a medical device or in the arms of their parents. Expectant parents have enough worries. They should not have to worry about extreme politicians in their doctor's office or hospital thinking they somehow know better. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 26.”