Associated Press - Republicans have pushed a bill through the House outlawing most late-term abortions, with Louisiana congressmen voting in support of the bill.
A Republican president is waiting in the White House to sign the bill. But the measure won't reach Donald Trump because Senate Democrats have enough votes to kill it with a filibuster - a delaying tactic that takes 60 votes to overcome.
The measure remains a top priority of anti-abortion groups. It would make it a crime to perform an abortion after 20 weeks of fetal development. Women undergoing such abortions wouldn't be prosecuted.
Republicans say recent scientific developments have shown fetuses at 20 weeks can feel pain.
Both Representative Ralph Abraham of the 5th District and Representative Mike Johnson of the 4th District voted in favor of the bill, and had this to say about their decision.
Representative Ralph Abraham:
“As a doctor, I believe in defending life at all stages. I've heard a child's heart beat at six weeks old. Babies can feel pain at 20 weeks; to abort them is a cruel practice that must end. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is a big step in the right direction toward respecting the dignity of all life, especially those babies who cannot even defend themselves."
Representative Mike Johnson:
“Ending the dangerous and violent practice of late-term abortions should not be controversial. On the contrary, a law that allows abortion providers to end the life of an unborn baby when that child can live outside the womb and feel the pain inflicted by such heinous procedures is grotesque and should be corrected immediately. Late-term abortions are responsible for the deaths of thousands of babies each year. It is our moral responsibility to defend the defenseless, and I will continue this fight while in Congress.”
