READ: Rep. Franks' "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" Passes House On Party Line Vote; REPLACES Sen. Flake's Border Jobs For Veterans

(CORRECTION, 2:00pm: The Franks anti-abortion act ERASES Flake's Border Jobs For Veterans Act, rather than tacking it on. Appropriate changes made to this article. Details here.)

Arizona Rep. Trent Franks (R-CD8) introduced his "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" earlier this week, and the House today approved it and replaced Arizona Senator Jeff Flake's Border Jobs For Veterans Act with it today.

Franks' measure will make it a crime punishable by up to five years in prison

for any clinic employee who does not report an abortion which results in an aborted fetus making any movement after being removed from the pregnant woman.

The measure - introduced on Tuesday by Franks, and with all Arizona Republican colleagues except Martha McSally (R-CD2) signing on as co-sponsors - was rushed to the Floor as part of the wrangling and threats to cause a government shutdown over the Planned Parenthood defunding issue.  It passed on a party-line vote of 248-177 (with 5 Democrats voting "aye").

  Bill Text Born Alive Survivors - 114th Congress - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

It will now go back to the Senate as the full content of what had been the non-controversial Border Jobs For Veterans Act proposed by Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake.  That had passed the Senate on September 9.

As noted earlier, many House conservatives - with Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon (R-CD5) in the forefront - are leery of the House GOP leadership's plans to give anti-Planned Parenthood, anti-abortion Representatives a chance for "feel-good" votes which will not result in the measures becoming law.

Here is Rep. Franks speaking on Sept. 9 to open a hearing on the Planned Parenthood issue:


We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.