Senate rejects a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks

The vote played out much like 2015 "signaling that neither Republicans or Democrats are ready to change their minds on the issue."

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Image Credit: The Daily Beast

It’s being called a victory for women’s rights after the Senate voted on Monday against a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

In a 51-46 vote, the Senate rejected the bill, which passed in the House (237-189) in October, with three democrats voting in favor of it and two Republicans opposing it. This vote played out much like the 2015 Senate vote on the same bill “signaling that neither Republicans or Democrats are ready to change their minds on the issue,” according to Politico.

“This vote was a distraction,” Nancy Northrup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said. “While it was stopped in it tracks, it’s clear that anti-choice politicians and Senate leadership are prioritizing chipping away at constitutional freedoms over keeping the lights on and supporting policies the American people want.”

As the government has yet to approve a budget or resolve the issue with Dreamers, many abortion rights groups believe this vote was a waste of time and “reveals their true priorities: to punish women, ban abortion, and try to score an ideological win to appeal to their fringe base,” Ilyse Hogue, head of NARAL Pro-Choise America said.

While many abortion rights and women’s rights groups were happy with the vote, the White House was unhappy with the decision and asked the Senate to reconsider the vote, which will “help to facilitate the culture of life to which our nation aspires.”

“It is disappointing that despite support from a bipartisan majority of U.S. senators, this bill was blocked from further consideration,” Donald Trump said in a statement.

Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the bill’s author, was also upset with the outcome vowing to “never give up until we get America in a better place.”

The U.S. is one of seven countries, including North Korea and China, to allow abortions after 20 weeks.

“If the anti-choice GOP continues to be out-of-step with the values of hard working women and families, we’ll make sure they pay the consequences at the ballot box in November,” Hogue said.

 

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