When members of the U.S House begin debate on the bill to ban abortions nationwide after 20-weeks of pregnancy, a leading pro-life congresswoman will head up the pro-life side of the debate.
Representative Marsha Blackburn will organize the pro-life side of the debate for bill sponsor Representative Trent Franks and manage lawmakers debating for the legislation. According to a Newsmax report, “Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, will be floor manager for the bill when the House brings it up for a vote next week, said two aides who asked not to be identified as the decision hasn’t been officially announced.”
Franks tells NewsMax he is supportive of his colleague spearheading the discussion:
“Marsha would be a wonderful person to speak to it on the floor,” Franks said in an interview today. “We do that many times where we have different people speaking to different bills. I think she would be a wonderful candidate for that.”
Franks declined to say whether Blackburn was the official choice. Still, the six-term lawmaker said he will play whatever role he is assigned.
“I’m a policy guy, I just want the right thing to happen and if there are better voices than mine, then bring them on,” Franks said.
Blackburn confirmed to the Weekly Standard today that she will manage the floor debate.
“I think the reason that leadership asked me to handle the bill is the amount of pro-life work that I’ve done throughout my years in Congress,” said Blackburn, a co-sponsor of the bill.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona, has been unfairly attacked by Democrats and some journalists for the past two days for making a factual comment about the “incidence” of pregnancies that result from rape.
Blackburn said on Friday that Nancy Pelosi’s recent comments on late-term abortion were “absolutely abhorrent.”
“The war on women is these crimes committed by Kermit Gosnell and some of these abortion clinics,” Blackburn told me.
“I think the American people are with us on this,” Blackburn said. “Sixty percent of all Americans say abortion should not be allowed in the second trimester and over 80 percent say they shouldn’t be allowed in the third-trimester.”
On Wednesday, a committee passed the bill on a 20-12 vote and the measure now heads to the full House floor where it is expected to receive a debate and vote next week. Republicans are supportive of the measure while Democrats are generally opposed to it.
“A recent national poll by The Polling Company found that, after being informed that there is scientific evidence that unborn children are capable of feeling pain at least by 20 weeks, 64% would support a law banning abortion after 20 weeks, unless the mother’s life was in danger. Only 30% said they would oppose such a law.
