U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga) reintroduced the “Sanctity of Human Life Act” on Thursday, first day of the 113th Congress, a legislation that has been passed around in Congress since 1995. Broun introduces the pro-life legislation as his first bill each year.
H.R. 23 defines human life and legal personhood as beginning at fertilization thus the legislation requires that life should be protected from inception by “all jurisdictions across the United States.”
“Our most basic and fundamental right, the right to life, should be defended vigorously and at any cost,” said Broun. “As a physician, I know that human life begins with fertilization, and I remain committed to ending abortion in all stages of pregnancy. I will continue to fight this atrocity on behalf of the unborn, and I hope my colleagues will support me in doing so.”
The “Sanctity of Human Life Act” gained some exposure during the 2012 presidential cycle, after the Republican candidate Mitt Romney nominated Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis), the bill’s co-sponsor in 2012, as his running mate.
Critics of the bill maintain that H.R. 23 would virtually outlaw in vitro fertilization (IVF). While the legislation doesn’t specifically name the procedure, it would most likely pose serious challenges to it.
One of Romney’s sons, Tagg Romney, and his wife welcomed twin boys in May 2012 thanks to IVF. Since IVF is extremely expensive, some Democrats have been trying to pass legislation that would force insurance companies to pay for the procedure.
While some liberals and conservatives waited for the controversy to become one of the center issues of the campaign, neither Romney nor President Barack Obama took the bait.
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