Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann The chairman of the US bishops’ pro-life committee applauded President Donald Trump’s signing the ‘Born Alive Executive Order’ to ensure babies born alive receive care.
The order, which Mr Trump signed the evening of September 25, means “babies born prematurely or with disabilities receive a basic medical assessment and appropriate care as required by our federal laws”, said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, who heads the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
“In addition to our laws, basic human rights demand that no baby born alive should be abandoned and left to die due to being disabled or premature,” the archbishop said. “Every human life, regardless of its stage of development or condition, is precious and deserves a shot at life.”
President Trump’s action orders the US Department of Health and Human Services to make certain federally funded facilities comply with current law to provide life-saving medical care for infants who survive abortions, are born prematurely or are born with disabilities. The order also calls for more funding for research “to improve outcomes” for these babies.
Remarks
President Donald Trump had said on September 23 that he would sign an executive order to “ensure that all precious babies born alive, no matter their circumstances, receive the medical care that they deserve”.
In brief recorded remarks for the livestreamed National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, Mr Trump called it the ‘Born Alive Executive Order’ which pro-life leaders said would provide legal protections for babies born during “botched abortions”, like the Senate’s proposed Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act proposed would do if passed.
The Senate measure, sponsored by Nebraska Republican Ben Sasse, would require doctors, under penalties of fines and imprisonment, to provide the same care for a baby born alive after a failed attempt at abortion as they would for any child at the same point in its gestation.
“Our nation is strong because of Catholics and all people of faith, and the belief that all children, born and unborn, have the right to life,” Mr Trump said in his remarks to the breakfast. He called the executive order “our sacrosanct moral duty”.