New Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew Signs Petition to Force House Vote on Born-Alive Act

New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who officially left the Democrat Party to become a Republican, has signed onto a discharge petition that would force a floor vote in the House on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

Liberty Counsel Action, a grassroots organization promoting pro-life and pro-family policy, announced confirmation of Van Drew’s signature on the discharge petition in a press release Tuesday.

One of Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s first legislative acts since he officially joined the Republican party was to sign a discharge petition that would circumvent Speaker Pelosi and force a floor vote on the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.” More@ https://t.co/WgJhSN6fKO

— LibertyCounselAction (@LCActionorg) January 7, 2020

The Born-Alive Act would require infants who survive elective abortion to receive the same medical care as other newborns of the same gestational age. The measure would make intentional neglect or murder by medical staff of an infant who survives abortion to be punishable.

“Rep. Van Drew’s signature on the discharge petition is a great victory for saving precious children who survive abortions,” Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel Action chairman, said in a statement. “Our supporters have been working tirelessly to encourage Rep. Van Drew and others to sign the discharge petition to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to the floor for a vote.”

In order to circumvent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and force a floor vote on the measure, the discharge petition requires 218 signatures. Van Drew’s signature brings the total number of signatures to 204.

In September, House Republican leaders held a hearing on the Born-Alive Act. At that point, Pelosi and other Democrat leaders had blocked a vote on the bill more than 80 times.

Van Drew’s signature on the discharge petition comes as President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign announced Trump will host a rally in New Jersey on January 28 to support Van Drew’s re-election.

“This rally is to show support for Republican Representative Jeff Van Drew,” Principal Deputy Communications Director Erin Perrine said in a statement to Breitbart News. “President Trump supports Rep. Van Drew and endorses his re-election efforts.”

Van Drew made the decision to switch to the Republican party as a result of the Democrat-led effort to impeach Trump.