Four Democratic senators who voted against protecting newborns sponsored a bill designed to protect baby cats.

Senators Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.), Cory Booker (D., N.J.), Gary Peters (D., Mich.), and Tom Udall (D., N.M.) cosponsored a bill designed to put an end to animal testing using kittens. The KITTEN Act of 2019 came after it was revealed that the Department of Agriculture was testing suspect Chinese meat on cats, posing a potentially fatal risk to the felines. It was introduced about a week after all of those Democratic senators voted to block legislation that would have required doctors to provide medical care to newborns who survive abortion.

The contrast between those two positions prompted public outcry from those working to safeguard the lives of children. Lauren Fine, spokeswoman for Rep. Steve Scalise (R., La.), said that Democrats should show as much compassion for infants as they do for cats.