Congressman Ben Cline has yet to react publicly to the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling last week that that frozen embryos are people.
The court ruled that “unborn children are ‘children’ … without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics.”
But Cline must agree with the court’s decision because he is one of 124 House Republicans co-sponsoring HR 431: “To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.”
According to the bill:
The terms “human person” and “human being” include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.
Obviously the “preborn” include even the newest embryos, which are the result of fertilization, and which may consist of only a few dozen cells. And not every frozen embryo is successfully implanted. The bill Cline supports nonetheless would define each such embryo as a human child. Would the now-routine disposal of these embryos comprise murder?
As a result of the ruling, medical facilities in Alabama have put in-vitro fertilization procedures on hold. Ironically this will mean fewer births.
Of course HR 431 would not only apply to frozen embryos. It would be a nationwide ban on abortion from the moment of conception for any reason, including rape, incest or protecting the health or life of the mother– applying to 10-year-old girls as much as anyone else.
If Cline thinks I am misinterpreting the language of the bill, I hope he will provide his own interpretation.
Gene Zitver is the editor of ClineWatch.
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