House Republicans are spotlighting the issue of abortion as they roll out their legislative agenda in the new Congress – a move that comes after the Supreme Court’s highly consequential decision last summer to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

The GOP-led House voted on Wednesday to pass a bill that would require health care providers to try to preserve the life of an infant in the rare case that a baby is born alive during or after an attempted abortion. The bill is not expected to be taken up in the Democratic-controlled Senate, but passage in the House serves as a messaging opportunity for the new Republican majority. The vote was 220 to 210.

Under the bill, health providers who fail to comply with the requirements for care could face fines or up to five years in prison. The bill would not impose penalties on the mother and would grant the mother protection from any kind of prosecution.

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Opponents have argued that such measures restrict abortion access by threatening health care providers. It is already considered homicide in the US to intentionally kill an infant that is born alive.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/11/politics/house-abortion-bill/index.html