The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would ban abortions starting at 20 weeks.
This isn’t the first time in recent years that the Republican-controlled House has passed a 20-week ban. What’s different this time is that it has the support of the White House . Despite the Trump administration’s support for the bill, it’s unlikely to garner the support necessary to come up for a vote in the U.S. Senate.
The House passed H.R. 36 , the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” Oct. 3 by a vote of 237-189. The bill would prohibit abortions that occur at or after 20 weeks after fertilization and would impose criminal penalties against doctors who perform them, including fines or up to 5 years in prison. The bill includes exceptions for cases of rape or incest, and to save the life of the pregnant woman.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which opposes the bill, called it a “cruel ban” that would leave many women without treatment options.
“Many women seek abortion later in pregnancy because restrictive state laws or the lack of abortion providers made it impossible for them to access abortion earlier in their pregnancies,” ACOG said in a statement . “Additionally, many women are delayed in their ability to access abortion care because they need time to raise or save enough money to pay for it.”
Currently, 17 states have enacted their own 20-week abortion bans, according to ACOG.
mschneider@frontlinemedcom.com
On Twitter @maryellenny
