Ernst: An Unborn Child Is In Every Way A Child

WASHINGTON – Tuesday, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, questioned witnesses and shared the remarkable story of Micah Pickering, a native of Newton, Iowa.

Micah was born prematurely at 20 weeks—the age at which the legislation would prohibit abortions. During the hearing, Ernst explained how at 20 weeks, “the humanity of Baby Micah was undeniable.” She went on to explain that while Micah is a healthy, energetic 6-year-old boy, his story “is not an isolated incident, and that it is a “a powerful testament to the fact that at five months of development, an unborn child is in every way a child, capable of feeling pain and growing up to live a full and happy life.”

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would prohibit abortion after about five months post-fertilization, the point in development that science has shown unborn children can feel pain. As an original cosponsor of the bill, Senator Ernst hascalled on her colleagues to support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

During the hearing, Ernst questioned Dr. Donna Harrison, Executive Director of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She posed questions to Dr. Harrison on her experiences with babies at the gestational age of 20 weeks.

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