Historic Abortion Vote Tomorrow in U.S. House
Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 31, every member of the U.S. House of Representatives will have to go on record on whether abortion should be legal for any reason to the moment of birth.
The legislation that will be voted on, the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 3803), is strongly supported by Wisconsin Right to Life.
In the bill, Congress adopts findings that by 20 weeks after fertilization (if not earlier), the unborn child has the capacity to feel great pain. The bill prohibits abortion after that point, except when an acute physical condition endangers the life of the mother. Seven states have already enacted similar legislation and no court orders have blocked enforcement of any of those laws.
The bill is focused on the District of Columbia because the Council of the District of Columbia, employing authority delegated by Congress, repealed the entire D.C. abortion law. Thus, in the nation’s capital, abortion is currently legal for any reason through all nine months of pregnancy. An abortion facility near the White House now advertises dismemberment (D&E) abortions on request, to 26 weeks of pregnancy – the beginning of the 7th month! There is nothing to stop abortionists from performing abortions even closer to birth.
“Five of Wisconsin’s U.S. House delegation strongly support H.R. 3803 and are all co-sponsors of this important legislation,” said Susan Armacost, Wisconsin Right to Life Legislative Director. “We thank Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner, Tom Petri, Paul Ryan, Sean Duffy and Reid Ribble for their tremendous advocacy on behalf of this ground-breaking legislation. Now the question is, will Tammy Baldwin, Ron Kind and Gwen Moore vote to allow abortion, for any reason, until the moment of birth?”
Wisconsin Right to Life’s parent organization, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is the lead organization promoting the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. NRLC’s Legislative Director, Douglas Johnson said, “This roll call will be a landmark – the House has never before voted on the question of whether to endorse legal abortion for any reason until birth. Any lawmaker who votes against this bill is voting to ratify the extreme policy currently in effect in the nation’s capital, where abortion is perfectly legal for any reason until the moment of birth.”