Press Releases

WASHINGTON–Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) released the following statement after Monday's Ninth Circuit decision upholding Title X regulations and Tuesday's U.S. Senate vote on two pro-life bills:

"Kansans value life and repeatedly reaffirm their commitment to the unborn. Monday the Ninth Circuit upheld common sense regulations that prevent Title X Family Planning dollars from going to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood," said Rep. Estes. "These rules do not cut any funding for women's health, but instead ensure that taxpayer dollars are utilized the way Congress intended. However, politicians in our nation's capital continue to devalue the unborn and ignore science. Senators voted yesterday to prevent further action on two common sense bills. The first bans abortions after 20 weeks when a child can feel pain. The second requires health care practitioners to provide the same care to survivors of a botched abortion as they would any other child. Unfortunately in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuses to even bring legislation like the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act up for a vote. I'll continue to stand with Kansans in fighting for the most vulnerable among us."

In 2018, Rep. Estes led the effort in Congress to call on the Trump administration to administer the new Protect Life Rule. In total, 153 Representatives and 41 Senators supported the effort. These guidelines – similar to previous Reagan-era rules upheld by the Supreme Court – eliminate a current requirement that all Title X recipients refer abortions, stipulate that Title X projects must be conducted by providers physically and financially separated from abortion activities, and increase accountability and oversight in cases of suspected sexual abuse of minors. While the Protect Life Rule will not cut any funds from family planning services, it diverts tax dollars from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood, which used to receive $60 million annually in Title X grants.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act requires health care practitioners to give the same care to an infant who has survived a botched abortion as they would to any other newborn. In April 2019, Rep. Estes signed a discharge petition seeking to force a vote on the bill once 218 Members sign on to it. Currently, the petition has 204 signatures. Current federal law recognizing infants born during a botched abortion does not require health care professionals to care for those babies, as the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would. Additionally, 24 states lack protections for born-alive infants.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Protection Act acknowledges that unborn children can feel pain as early as 20 weeks gestational and bans late-term abortions after that point. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2017, but the U.S. Senate has failed to debate or take final action on the legislation in both the 115th and 116th Congress.

Ron Estes is a 5th generation Kansan and represents Kansas’ 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means.