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I believe that we as a nation need to value life and demonstrate that we value life, and I remain committed to my work in Congress on behalf of all of the Arkansans who support life. Since coming to Congress, I have worked with my colleagues and pro-life leaders in Arkansas to support pro-life policies. I will continue to fight for this cause, working with House and Senate Leadership and President Trump.
I have cosponsored and supported passage of numerous pro-life bills in the House of Representatives and am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which was introduced by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) on January 3, 2017. If enacted, this bill would prevent abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. H.R. 36 passed the House with my support on October 3, 2017, and now awaits further action in the Senate. Additionally, I joined my colleagues in supporting H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which was introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) on January 13, 2017 and was passed by the House on January 24, 2017. If enacted, this bill would make the Hyde Amendment, which is the federal law that prohibits the use of taxpayer funds in programs where abortion is a method of family planning, and other current abortion funding prohibitions permanent and government-wide. Recently, I supported H.R. 4712, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 241-183 on January 19. 2018. If enacted, this bill would criminalize failure to provide medical care to children born alive during an abortion. This bill awaits action in the Senate. I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 490, the Heartbeat Protection Act, which was introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) on January 12, 2017. If enacted, this bill would require abortion doctors check for a fetal heartbeat before committing abortions. Further, the bill would prohibit an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected, unless the life of the mother is in danger. H.R. 490 was referred to the House Judiciary Committee for review. Finally, I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 644, the Conscience Protection Act, which was introduced by Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) on January 24, 2017. If enacted, this bill would reaffirm and codify the longstanding protections found in the Weldon amendment, which prohibits the federal and state and local governments receiving federal funds from discriminating against or penalizing health care providers that do not participate in abortion. H.R. 644 has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for review. |
