On Tuesday, the very first day of the 114th Congress, Arizona Rep. Trent Franks introduced a measure to ban abortions after 20 weeks. It’s the same law he introduced last year — the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act — which is based on the specious claim that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks. Most scientists who have spoken up about fetal pain believe it’s not possible before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, which happens around 24 weeks (and is also the abortion deadline established by Roe v. Wade). Or they don’t want their research used in abortion legislation.
Some of the reasons women have abortions after 20 weeks include: serious fetal health problems that weren’t detected earlier, needing to save up and/or travel for the procedure, and none of your g-d business. Now that Republicans control the Senate, the bill will likely pass there and then get vetoed by the president.
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love and war
,shmashmortion
,trent franks
,fetal pain