The U.S. Senate failed to advance the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act today when a cloture motion fell short of the 60 votes needed to prevent a filibuster. New Hampshire Democrats Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan voted No on the bill to prohibit a health care practitioner from “failing to exercise the proper degree of care” in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion.
The bill’s chief sponsor is Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE). After hearing speeches from Democrat colleagues who called the bill a threat to “reproductive health care,” he said, “I know a lot of opponents of this bill sincerely believe the talking points that they read from their staffs. We’ve heard speech after speech after speech that have nothing to do with what’s actually in this bill. I urge my colleagues to picture a baby that’s already been born, that’s outside the womb gasping for air. That’s the only thing that today’s vote is actually about. We’re talking about babies that have already been born. Nothing in this bill touches abortion access.”
Senators Hassan and Shaheen refused to support the bill to protect abortion survivors.
From Senator Hassan on Twitter (@SenatorHassan): “Tonight, I voted NO on yet another partisan attack on reproductive health care. Women, families and their doctors are capable of making these complicated medical decisions without government interference.”
From Senator Shaheen (@SenatorShaheen): “The bill forced by Senate Republicans today would significantly interfere with the doctor-patient relationship & pose new obstacles to a woman’s constitutional right to make her own decisions about her reproductive health.”
If “reproductive health care,” “a woman’s constitutional right to make her own decisions,” and “complicated medical decisions” include infanticide, then the New Hampshire Senators’ tweets and votes make sense. Otherwise, I have no idea what bill they thought they were voting on.
Leaven for the Loaf 
HI Ellen, thanks for your note. I wrote an email to Shaheen. Then an Editorial to the Berlin Daily Sun which is a prize if they publish it. I want people to flood the offices…..but we do what we can and I will stay with it.
I don’t have a subscription to the UL so doubt they would allow an editorial.
You know they send people to jail for throwing puppies out the car window.
Stay in touch,
Donna Stiles
Ellen, I am going to ask folks on FB, clergy, neighbors to flood the offices with letters, calls or emails objecting to their NO vote on the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. I have just about had enough of our representatives thinking they have a clue what we want and what is right for a civilized society who loves esp babies…………and it’s not ignoring babies out of the womb without care if they are not perfect.
Jeanne Shaheen is
340 Central Ave
#205
Dover, NH 03820 Hassan is 1589 Elm St 3rd fl Manchester, NH
Thank you, Donna! Readers, you can find more contact information at hassan.senate.gov and shaheen.senate.gov.
Thanks, Ellen. I wonder if you have a good local address for Hassen and Shaheen. They need to hear from us and if this is the way they feel…..flood the office with letters. Joni Ernst did a good/explanatory piece explaining that they were voting on INFANTICIDE, not women’s right to choose. Might be on UTUBE.
Donna Stiles
What were you thinking when you voted against this??? This is murder and you both have blood on your hands and upon your house!
I have already sent strong emails to both Shaheen and Hassan this morning about their votes. I agree with Ellen — let’s all take some time to call or to write to let them know that their constituents are well aware of what they have done and how we feel about it. It is incomprehensible to me that anyone would have voted against this bill.
Sickened by these women who claim to represent NH. Reproductive health & a living, breathing baby are 2 very different things. I am repulsed by our Senators.
I wonder how this would look if NH residents voted on this.
I hope the Senators hear from everyone who’s appalled by their vote on the Born-Alive bill. Let’s not take for granted that they won’t listen.
Having been so distressed at the mere idea that at this point we would even have the NEED to have a law passed by the Senate to say that we couldn’t kill a live baby, this news has my blood boiling! How can this gobbledegook language possibly justify their indefensible position to NOT defend the life of an innocent, living, human baby? What kind of twisted logic are they selling that would persuade any thinking person that this is a “partisan attack on reproductive health care”?
Since a majority of the voters voted for these women, must we conclude that a majority of the voters agree with their position? I don’t believe so and I hope many people will spread the word of these illogical and inhumane votes to all the voters in New Hampshire.
HI Ellen, Can you believe it? I heard the news on Fox this evening and wondered how I could get their vote. Oh my……..made me wonder if Sen Hassen had her son in mind. I really believe Trump with overturn Rowe vs Wade when he gets around to it.
At least if they could deny abortion if there is a heart beat would be something for Sununu to chew on.
Do you get the Union Leader? I sometimes wonder if editorials are being produced on this Infanticide issue. Maybe I will write to the Editor of the Berlin Daily Sun.
Very upsetting. Donna Stiles
Donna, thanks for reading. The Union Leader ran an editorial a few weeks ago (“The baby-killer party? Defending the indefensible”) about the pro-infanticide comment from Virginia’s governor. I won’t be surprised if they take notice of our Senators’ vote on the born-alive bill.