在他们的首要任务中在众议院多数席位任职期间周三，共和党人就两项与堕胎相关的措施进行了投票，这是最高法院之后该党的一个关键问题去年夏天推翻了罗伊诉韦德案。
其中一项法案，一项决议，将谴责针对反对堕胎的机构、团体和教堂的暴力行为。该法案以222票对209票通过，三名民主党人投了赞成票:得克萨斯州众议员维森特·冈萨雷斯、宾夕法尼亚州众议员克里斯·胡拉汉和华盛顿州众议员玛丽·佩雷兹。
另一项法案将要求卫生保健提供者对流产失败后存活下来的婴儿进行护理。该法案以220票对210票获得通过，其中一名民主党人、德克萨斯州众议员亨利·库勒尔(Henry Cueller)与共和党人一起支持该法案。
但参议院多数党领袖、纽约州民主党人查克·舒默(Chuck Schumer)周三表示，他们“在参议院注定要失败”，而且是“极端的”
密苏里州共和党众议员安·瓦格纳提出的《活产流产幸存者保护法》将要求医疗从业者在流产失败后护理足月分娩的胎儿。该法案还将对违反规定的医疗服务提供者处以五年监禁的刑事处罚。
瓦格纳在一份声明中说:“这场斗争不得不打，这让我很痛苦，但婴儿医疗保健不应该是一个党派问题。”“现在，共和党占多数，众议院将最终采取行动，投票保护基本的生命权。”
胎儿足月的不完全流产非常罕见。一个报告来自疾病控制和预防中心的研究发现，在12年的时间里，有143例流产失败后出生的婴儿存活下来，随后死亡。
只有一小部分堕胎是在胎儿理论上可以存活的怀孕阶段进行的。根据疾病预防控制中心的数据，2020年，0.9%的堕胎是在怀孕21周后进行的。
在周三的声明中，舒默说，“美国妇女有权获得医疗保健的保护，而不是削弱。在一次历史性的令人失望的中期选举后仅仅几个月，共和党控制的众议院就充分展示了他们对女性健康的真正极端观点，并提出了没有得到美国人民支持的立法。共和党人再一次证明，他们与美国主流脱节是多么危险。”
众议院多数党领袖史蒂夫·斯卡利斯。他说，共和党人“致力于捍卫生命，尽我们所能让堕胎后幸存的婴儿存活下来。”
但党内的一些人，包括南卡罗来纳州的众议员南希·梅斯(Nancy Mace)，对推动限制堕胎的立法持更严厉的批评态度，表示担心这可能会疏远选民。
根据出口民调，堕胎权利被证明是一个关键的中期问题还显示大多数选民认为堕胎在所有或大多数情况下都应该是合法的。
“这可能不是本周开始的方式。我们应该考虑一些措施，比如确保每个妇女都有避孕的权利，”梅斯在周三的立法投票前对MSNBC说。
她说，梅斯是反堕胎的，但“我有许多例外。”她和共和党一起投票通过了这两项法案。
House Republicans pass 2 anti-abortion measures
Among their first priorities while serving in the House majority, Republicans voted Wednesday on two measures related to abortion -- a key issue for the party after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last summer.
One of the bills, a resolution, would condemn violence against facilities, groups and churches opposed to abortions. The bill passed 222 to 209, with three Democrats voting yes: Reps. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Marie Perez of Washington.
The other bill would mandate health care providers give care to an infant that is born alive after a failed abortion. The measure passed 220 to 210 with one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cueller of Texas, joining Republicans in supporting the bill.
But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday that they are "doomed in the Senate" and are "extreme."
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act -- which was introduced by Republican Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri -- would require health practitioners to care for a fetus carried to term after a failed abortion. The bill would also impose criminal penalties on health care providers who don't, of five years' imprisonment.
"It pains me that this fight has to be fought at all, but medical care for babies should not be a partisan issue," Wagner said in a statement. "Now, with Republicans in the Majority, the House will finally take action and vote to protect the fundamental right to life."
An incomplete abortion where the fetus is carried to term is exceedingly rare. One report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that over a 12-year period, there were 143 cases where an infant was born alive after a failed abortion and then subsequently died.
Only a small percent of abortions are performed at a point in pregnancy where the fetus could theoretically survive. In 2020, 0.9% of abortions were performed after 21 weeks gestation, according to the CDC.
In his statement on Wednesday, Schumer said, "American women deserve to have their right to healthcare protected, not undermined. Just months after a historically disappointing midterm election, the MAGA Republican controlled House is putting on full display their truly extreme views on women's health with legislation that does not have the support of the American people. Once again, Republicans are proving how dangerously out of touch they are with mainstream America."
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Republicans are "committed to defending life and doing everything in our power to keep babies who survive an abortion alive."
But some in the party, including Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, have been more critical of the push for legislation to restrict abortion access, voicing concern that it could alienate voters.
Abortion rights proved to be a key midterm issue, according to exit polling, which also showed a majority of voters saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
"This is probably not the way to start off the week. We should be looking at measures for example making sure every woman has access to birth control," Mace said on MSNBC ahead of Wednesday's votes on the legislation.
Mace is anti-abortion, she said, but "I have many exceptions." She voted with Republicans to pass both bills.
