Today, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) received the “Heartbeat Bill Hero” award for his unwavering support in protecting the unborn.

“There is no greater gift than the gift of life,” Luetkemeyer said. “All human life is precious and deserves to be treated with the highest dignity and respect. I am humbled to receive this award for my support of the Heartbeat Protection Act, and I hope we can get this critical legislation signed into law soon.”

H.R. 490, the Heartbeat Protection Act, would codify a requirement that physicians must check for a child’s heartbeat prior to performing an abortion. If a heartbeat is detected, the physician would have to inform the mother and would be prohibited from performing the abortion.