Just three Democrats in the U.S. Senate supported a bill on Monday that would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks when unborn babies are capable of feeling pain.
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which has strong public support from Republicans and Democrats alike, narrowly failed to pass the U.S. Senate on Monday in a 51-46 vote. The bill needed 60 votes to overcome Democrats’ filibuster.
The bill would save as many as 18,000 unborn babies form abortions every year in the U.S.
U.S. Sens. Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia were the only Democrats who supported the legislation.
They alone listened to the majority of their constituents by supporting the moderate abortion ban. Polls consistently show strong public support for a 20-week abortion ban, including a majority of Democrats and women.
Democrats’ votes on the legislation could make a difference at the voting booth this fall. Casey, Donnelly and Manchin are up for re-election, as are several Democrats who voted against the late-term abortion ban.
The Democratic Party is becoming increasingly radical and out of touch with voters on the abortion issue. Some party leaders, backed by the abortion industry, are pushing for full support of abortion on demand up to birth from elected officials. The party’s top donor even said he will not donate to Democrat candidates who are pro-life.
Yet, Democrats like Casey, Donnelly and Manchin are the ones supporting legislation that is in line with the average Democrat on abortion.
In contrast, Democrat U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Jon Tester of Montana, who also are up for re-election and who voted against the late-term abortion ban, are not.
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According to a recent Gallup poll, just 29 percent of Americans want unlimited abortion up to birth. Fact checkers also have confirmed that the U.S. is one of only seven countries in the world that allows elective abortions after 20 weeks, something the Pain-Capable bill would have changed.
Democrats for Life estimates more than 23 million Democrats in the U.S. are pro-life. In 2016, Pew Research found that 28 percent of Democrats say abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. Marist/KofC polling also found that 23 percent of Democrats consider themselves pro-life and 40 percent say abortion is morally wrong.
After the vote Monday, the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List announced plans to target pro-abortion Democrats by exposing their “extreme” abortion support through online ads and websites, the Washington Examiner reports.
“As the polling … makes clear, their votes against this compassionate, consensus legislation put these senators dramatically out of step with their constituents and the pro-life American majority,” SBA List said in a statement.
The U.S. House already approved the legislation, but Democrats in the Senate used a filibuster, requiring it to get 60 votes to move forward, to stop the bill. In the House, the vote for the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act broke down on mostly partisan lines with Republicans supporting the ban on late-term abortions and most Democrats opposing it. The House approved the bill on a 237-189 vote.
President Donald Trump condemned late-term abortions and supported the bill during his March for Life address in January.
Sixteen states have enacted similar laws that ban abortions after 20 weeks. These include Ohio, Texas, Nebraska, Idaho, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas.
