Columbia Standard

Ahead of the 52nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin criticized the Republicans' Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. This legislation proposes jail time for healthcare providers and may restrict women's access to comprehensive health care.

Durbin stated, “As a result of Roe, America’s women took a giant step forward in gender equity—the decision in Roe afforded women the right to choose whether, when, and how to start a family." He added that the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization reversed this progress by allowing Republican-led states to impose restrictive abortion laws.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is set for a Senate vote soon. According to Durbin, it imposes new standards on reproductive health care that lack medical or scientific basis and aims to intimidate healthcare providers. He remarked, “Instead of addressing the health care crisis that Dobbs has unleashed, Republicans are instead looking to make it even harder for women to access comprehensive and compassionate health care.”

Existing laws already protect children born alive under any circumstances. Durbin referenced the 2002 Born-Alive Infants Protection Act signed by President George W. Bush: “It is already illegal to kill a child that is born alive in America.” He cited Dr. Kermit Gosnell's conviction as an example of existing legal accountability.

Durbin argued that late-term abortions are rare and usually occur due to severe medical conditions or life-threatening risks to the mother. He criticized Republican narratives suggesting otherwise as politically motivated fabrications: “Republicans would rather have you believe that vast numbers of women are intentionally waiting until the final days of their pregnancy to have abortions.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists condemned the bill as harmful interference with medical decisions between patients and doctors: “Laws that ban or criminalize evidence-based care...are dangerous.”

Durbin shared Meredith Shiner's story—a woman who faced difficult decisions after early labor at 22 weeks—highlighting how such situations require compassion from medical professionals without political interference.

He concluded by honoring Cecile Richards' legacy as an advocate for women's rights and called for policies focused on improving healthcare access rather than imposing restrictions.