Yesterday, Democrats in Congress continued to demonstrate obstinate resistance to pro-life measures, with the House Appropriations Committee voting down an amendment aimed at protecting babies born alive and then voting to block a rule that would guard the conscience rights of medical workers.

The votes came during consideration of a $190 billion spending bill for Health and Human Services, Education, Labor and related agencies. First, the committee voted 29-23 to block an amendment that would have withheld funds from any medical entity that declines medical care to any infant born alive following an abortion procedure. Only one Democrat, Henry Cuellar of Texas, joined Republicans to vote for the amendment.

During debate, Democrats repeated the absurd argument that a measure to protect infants born alive in those circumstances is “a ruse to ban safe and legal abortion in the United States.”

Then, the committee voted on straight party lines to adopt another amendment that would block funding for the Trump administration’s recently introduced “conscience rule.” That rule allows health workers to opt out of providing services such as abortion, sterilization, assisted suicide and other medical procedures on religious or moral grounds.

Tom Cole (R-Okla.) called the amendment a “poison pill rider,” predicting, “The Labor-HHS bill will never become law if this language is inserted into it.” Democrats were undeterred, passing the spending bill 30-23.

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