WASHINGTON – Today Senator Mike Lee introduced a resolution calling on the Senate to review public policies that led to the illegal abortion practices of Dr. Kermit Gosnell and others.  

The resolution, which has 10 original cosponsors, resolves “Congress and States should gather information about and correct abusive, unsanitary, and illegal abortion practices and the interstate referral of women and girls to facilities engaged in dangerous or illegal second- and third-trimester procedures.”

Dr. Kermit Gosnell is currently standing trial for the murder of one patient and seven newborn babies who were killed after the abortions failed and the babies were born alive.

“Congress has the responsibility to investigate and conduct hearings on abortions performed near, at, or after viability in the United States, public policies regarding such, and evaluate the extent to which such abortions involve violations of the natural right to life of infants who are born alive or are capable of being born alive, and therefore are entitled to equal protection under the law,” the resolution states.

“The facts of the Gosnell case are disturbing and heartbreaking,” said Senator Lee. “It should be a wake-up call to all Americans. The lack of oversight at abortion facilities puts women’s lives at risk and leads to the kind of unconscionable practices we have seen recently.  The Senate should formally recognize that this is a problem in our country and we have a responsibility to investigate the causes, review the effects of certain public policies, and determine what we can do to prevent any woman from being subjected to these reprehensible practices again.”

The resolution is cosponsored by Sens. Toomey (PA), Rubio (FL), Cruz (TX), Inhofe (OK), Scott (SC), Blunt (MO), Burr (NC), Vitter (LA), Johanns (NE), Thune (SD), and Boozman (AR).

The resolution also recognizes that “there is substantial medical evidence that an unborn child is capable of experiencing pain at 20 weeks after fertilization, or earlier,” and resolves that “there is a compelling governmental interest in protecting the lives of unborn children beginning at least from the stage at which substantial medical evidence indicates that they are capable of feeling pain.”

Senator Lee is the author of the “District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” legislation that would prohibit abortions in Washington, D.C. after the 20th week of pregnancy. Lee expects to formally introduce the bill this week. For more information on this bill, click here.

A sense of the Senate resolution that Congress and the States should investigate and correct abusive, unsanitary, and illegal abortion practices.