Senate Democrats decried these abortion-related bills as pandering to Republicans’ pro-life base and a waste of time, citing a potential government shutdown on October 1 if spending bills aren’t passed. The final tally was 54-42 in favor of the measure-with three Democrats voting for it and two Republicans voting against it-but it needed 60 votes to move ahead.
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“The United States Senate needs to join the House of Representatives and get this legislation passed and onto the President’s desk”. Susan Collins (Maine) and Mark Kirk (Ill.) – voted with the Democratic minority.
“Nearly 17 years ago to the day, I came to the Senate floor to cast a vote to override then-President Clinton’s veto of the federal partial-birth abortion ban and to speak out for the voiceless unborn children who were victims of that deplorable practice”.
Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a Republican bill that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
But some other Republicans insisted that an abortion fight that leads to a government shutdown would make no sense. That’s why last summer I said that a new Republican majority would prioritize legislation that aims to protect unborn children after 20 weeks in the womb, and that’s why I will be proud to vote for it this coming week. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., up for re-election in a state Obama carried twice.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) talks to the media after a weekly Senate caucus luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington March 17, 2015.
“We in this chamber are never going to agree completely on the abortion question”, McConnell said.
Another issue, little noticed so far, is that delivery of food stamp benefits to the poor could be cut off next month. Since mid-July, the Center for Medical Progress has released 10 undercover videos that show Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of organs from aborted children and acknowledging their willingness to manipulate the abortion procedure to preserve body parts for sale and use. Planned Parenthood says it’s broken no laws and says the videos were manipulated to distort the recorded conversations. We are one of the few developed nations that do not ban abortion beyond 20 weeks. “We are one of only seven countries in the world – including North Korea and China – that allow elective, late-term abortions after five months”, she added. The House approved the legislation in May.
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Under the bill no abortion can be performed if a fetus’ age is 20 weeks or older unless the mother’s life is physically in danger; if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest and the woman has sought counseling for it in the previous 48 hours; or, in the case of a child, the act has been reported to authorities who can act on child abuse cases.
