More gas for the abortion debate...

[Troubleshooter]

http://www.reason.com/rb/rb042705.shtml

Born Alive
Who decides: parents or politicians?
Ronald Bailey


Last week, Michael Leavitt, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, declared that his agency is going to "aggressively enforce" the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002. The act defines an infant as a "member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development." The act further defines "born alive" to mean any infant who "breathes or has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, regardless of whether the umbilical cord has been cut, and regardless of whether the expulsion or extraction occurs as a result of natural or induced labor, cesarean section, or induced abortion." When he signed in the legislation in 2002, President George W. Bush declared, "This important legislation ensures that every infant born alive—including an infant who survives an abortion procedure—is considered a person under federal law." The law entitles such newborns to emergency medical care and to protection against child abuse.