Abortion defenders have long said all that’s being aborted is a clump of cells. But pro-life forces say if a heartbeat can be detected, that proves what’s inside the womb is a life and should be protected. A new bill in Congress, HR490, would make the presence of that heartbeat the standard for outlawing an abortion. Some 170 House members back the Heartbeat Protection Act, which had its first hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Polling by the Barna Group shows 69 percent of Americans back the bill.
“That’s 86 percent of Republicans, 61 percent of Independents, and yes, even a Democrat majority by 55 percent,” said Faith2Action president Janet Porter, the originator of the first heartbeat bill, at a Capitol Hill news conference. Rep. Steven King, R-Iowa, the main sponsor of this congressional bill, said, “We have a nearly universal consensus in America — wherever you sit on the political spectrum — that human life is sacred.” “And this human life is not a blob of tissue,” added Rep. Andy Harris, R-Maryland, who is also a doctor. “It’s a human life. This bill makes that self-evident.” MORE
