In the 109th Congress, Concerned Women for America (CWA) strongly supported the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act which would require abortion providers to inform women past the 20th week after fertilization that their unborn children will undergo severe pain during an abortion and that anesthesia is available upon request for the child they are about to abort.

On January 22, in the 110th Congress, Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) reintroduced the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (S. 356).  Concerned Women for America has, and will continue to, support this bill which seeks to provide women with all of the information that they need to make a decision regarding abortion.

CWA President Wendy Wright said, "Mothers have the right to be informed about the severe pain their unborn babies will feel from being aborted.  By the 20th week of pregnancy, the baby will feel even greater pain than the mother.  Sadly, this information is rarely communicated to women who are choosing whether their baby will live.  This legislation would help women with the necessary medical knowledge to make a rational decision with lasting consequences.

"Congressmen have denounced the use of torture against terrorists.  They should now denounce the torture inflicted on innocent unborn babies through abortion.  The first step is to ensure that mothers are provided with information on what their child will experience and given options," concluded Wright.

Over one year ago, Dr. Jean Wright, Professor and Chair of Pediatrics at Mercer University School of Medicine, testified before the House Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee on the issue of unborn pain.  She said, "If you came back with me to Savannah tonight and came to our neonatal intensive care unit, we would stand between the bed of a 23-week infant, a 26 week infant, and you would not need a congressional hearing to figure out whether that infant feels pain.  We roll back the sheets or the blanket, and you would look to the facial expression, their response to the heel stick, and you would understand."

CWA applauds Senator Brownback for his consistent commitment to pro-life issues and hopes that additional hearings will be held to focus attention on the amount of pain that the unborn experience in abortion.