[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 21, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                   NEW FETAL HEARTBEAT ABORTION LAWS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 21, 2019

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my strong 
opposition to the so-called ``fetal heartbeat'' laws recently enacted 
in Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Texas, and other states.


                                GEORGIA

       House Bill 481 outlaws abortion after six weeks of 
     pregnancy, when a doctor can usually detect a fetus' 
     heartbeat. Gov. Brian Kemp signed it into law May 7, and it 
     is set to go into effect Jan. 1--unless it is blocked by the 
     courts.


                                MISSOURI

       The Missouri House passed H.B. 126 in a 110-to-44 vote 
     after hours of heated debate, including impassioned speeches 
     by both Democratic and Republican legislators and angry 
     shouts of ``when you lie, people die'' from those who opposed 
     the bill. Those protesters were eventually removed by the 
     police.
       The measure, known as the Missouri Stands for the Unborn 
     Act, now moves to the desk of Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, 
     who is expected to sign it. The bill, which bans abortions at 
     around eight weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman even 
     knows she is pregnant, included no exceptions for rape or 
     incest.


                                ALABAMA

       Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama on Wednesday signed into law a 
     bill banning almost all abortions in the state, with no 
     exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Under the law, which 
     is scheduled to take effect in six months, an abortion is 
     only legal if the pregnant person's life is at risk. A doctor 
     who performs an abortion for any other reason could face up 
     to 99 years in prison.


                                 TEXAS

       The Texas Senate approved a bill Thursday that would impose 
     criminal penalties on doctors who fail to treat babies born 
     alive after failed abortion attempts--extremely rare cases--a 
     month after the House approved the same measure. If the House 
     concurs with the Senate's minor changes to House Bill 16, it 
     will then head to the governor's desk.
       The Senate approved the bill in a 21-10 vote, with 
     Democratic state senators Eddie Lucio of Brownsville and 
     Judith Zaffirini of Laredo bucking their party to support the 
     measure. The measure, authored by state Rep. Jeff Leach, R-
     Plano, gives teeth to existing federal and state laws that 
     grant legal protections to children born after abortion 
     attempts. Doctors who ``fail to provide the appropriate 
     medical treatnent''--like immediately transferring the infant 
     to a hospital--could be charged with a third-degree felony, 
     and they would have to pay a fine of at least $100,000.


                              MISSISSIPPI

       Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed the bill into law in 
     March which says physicians who perform abortions after a 
     fetal heartbeat is found (typically at around 6 weeks) could 
     have their medical licenses revoked. The state allows 
     abortions after a fetal heartbeat is found if a pregnancy 
     endangers a woman's life or one of her major bodily functions 
     but does not have exceptions for cases of rape or incest.


                                  OHIO

       Gov. Mike DeWine signed one of the nation's most 
     restrictive abortion bans into law Thursday afternoon and 
     opponents have already pledged to take him to court. The 
     American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio has already promised 
     to sue over the legislation, which would ban abortions after 
     a fetal heartbeat is detected and prosecute doctors who 
     perform them anyway. A fetal heartbeat can be detected as 
     early as six weeks into a woman's pregnancy, which can be 
     before a woman finds out she's pregnant. The ``heartbeat 
     bill'' passed the GOP-controlled Legislature on Wednesday 
     amid protests from advocates of abortion access. DeWine 
     signed the bill, making Ohio the sixth state to enact the 
     ban. Under the bill, doctors would face a fifth-degree felony 
     punishable by up to a year in prison for performing an 
     abortion after detecting a heartbeat. The bill has an 
     exception to save the life of the woman but no exception for 
     rape or incest--in line with current state law.

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