HIALEAH, Fla. — In light of the gruesome revelations about a Florida abortion business discarding a live baby, would Barack Obama still oppose the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act?

It’s hard to know.

Repeated requests to obtain comment from the White House in regards to President Obama’s position on the federal law were not answered.

We do know that he opposed the law as an Illinois state senator.

The question arose in early February when a Florida abortionist had his medical license revoked because of his actions following the live birth of a girl at his Hialeah abortion business.

In July 2006, Sycloria Williams went to the Florida facility to have an abortion at approximately 22 weeks of pregnancy, according to a police report. But she gave birth to a daughter while waiting for the procedure.

According to a report by the Florida Department of Health, abortionist Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique arrived after the birth at A Gyn Diagnostic Center in Hialeah and was complicit in the actions that followed.

The police report maintains that the baby was “observed moving and gasping for air.”

Williams told The Florida Catholic newspaper Jan. 28 that she “thought it would be a blob thing, but bigger, not a baby.”

“She looked like a Water Baby,” Williams said. “Like those dolls you fill up with water. She was really little.”

According to a civil lawsuit Williams has filed, she then saw the owner of the clinic, Belkis Gonzalez, cut the umbilical cord, put the living child into a red biohazard bag, and dump it in a trash can. The lawsuit says Renelique arrived about an hour after Williams delivered the baby and gave her a shot to put her to sleep. No one called an ambulance.

Responding to a tip, police found the baby’s decomposing body in a cardboard box in a closet at the clinic several days after the incident. DNA tests linked the body to Williams.

After an initial investigation, Renelique was allowed to continue performing abortions, but with restrictions. However, the Feb. 6 decision by the board of medicine stripped Renelique of his license to practice in the state of Florida. According to The Associated Press, Renelique’s license was revoked on the grounds that he committed medical malpractice, delegated responsibility to unlicensed personnel, and falsified medical records.

State records show that the medical examiner attributed Williams’ baby’s death to “extreme prematurity.” No criminal charges have been filed against anyone involved.

“While this case is a tragedy, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that there are no restrictions on abortion in the state of Florida through the first two trimesters and minimal restrictions during the third trimester,” said Douglas Johnson, legislative director at the National Right to Life Committee. “Under Florida law, it is perfectly acceptable to abort children at 22 weeks, as long as you keep the correct records.”

Silence From Washington

The developments in Florida have left many to wonder how, if at all, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act will affect this and similar cases. The federal bill, which was signed by President George W. Bush in 2002, establishes that a child born alive at any stage of development is legally considered a person. The law also defines “born alive” as having respiration, heartbeat, and/or voluntary movements after the infant has completely left the mother’s womb. Thus, under the act, the living child is legally a person and falls within protection of the law.

“The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act was a step in the right direction, but it isn’t enough to prevent infanticide because it only applies to the interpretation of relevant federal laws,” said Deirdre McQuade, assistant director for policy and communications at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. “Since most homicide laws and health-care regulations fall under state jurisdiction, states must also pass laws that draw a bright line between abortion and infanticide.”

The act is a modest pro-life law and does not provide protection to the living child within the womb, so it has still received overwhelming support by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. However, Barack Obama, when he was an Illinois state senator, repeatedly opposed the almost identical Illinois bill in 2001, 2002 and 2003. He also spoke against the act on the Senate floor in 2002.

“This bill did not succeed in Illinois largely because of Barack Obama,” said Johnson. “The rationale he gave for his opposition was the inability to define a previable fetus as a person.”

“The Obama administration will likely ignore these outrageous abuses, like what has happened in Florida,” said Alex Cortes, founder of BornAliveTruth.org, an organization that ran over $1 million worth of television advertisements throughout the 2008 presidential campaign. “We need to raise awareness so that people understand what is really taking place in abortion clinics and hospitals across the country.”

Many experts agree that a greater focus on state laws is needed to provide total protection to infants born alive after a failed abortion. “While 23 states have strong laws creating a duty for physicians to provide medical care to infants born alive at any stage of development, much work remains to be done at the state level to ensure that vulnerable lives are considered individuals with rights worthy of protection,” McQuade said. “Regardless of what a law might say, our dignity doesn’t depend on our location, but rather, it is inherent in who we are as human beings.”

Amber Dolle writes

from McKinney, Texas.

2001

• Feb. 22:Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (Senate Bill 1095) was first introduced in the Illinois Senate.

•March 28:Then State Sen. Barack Obama voted “No” on the bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

• March 30:Obama spoke against the bill on the Senate floor.

• March 30:Obama voted “Present” on the Senate floor.

2002

• Jan. 30: Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (Senate Bill 1662) was reintroduced after failing to become law the prior year.

• March 6: Then State Sen. Barack Obama voted “No” on the bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

• April 4: Obama spoke against the bill on the Senate floor.

• April 4: Obama voted “No” on the Senate floor.

• July 18: Congress passed the federal version of the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act.

• Aug. 5: President Bush signs the federal version of the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act.

2003

• Feb. 19: Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (Senate Bill 1082) was reintroduced after failing to become law the prior year.

• March 13: After first voting for an amendment to make the Illinois Born-Alive Infants Protection Act identical to the federal version, Obama voted against the bill.

BornAliveTruth.org