US Congress Passes Legislation That Bans Abortions After 20 Weeks of Pregnancy

An earlier version of the bill failed in January, 2015, when Republican women pulled their support over a requirement that women who had been raped report the incident to law enforcement before gaining access to care. The revamped version of the bill removed that clause for adults, and would allow abortions in the case of rape or where the mother's life was in danger. But House Democrat Jackie Speier said, "Lawmakers should stop playing doctor and leave medical decisions to a woman and her caregiver. Women who go through these experiences go through them with so much pain and anguish, and here we are as members of this body trying to don another white coat."

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The vote was held symbolically on the second anniversary of the conviction of US doctor Kermit Gosnell who killed three newborns, by severing their spinal cords with scissors after failed attempts at late-term abortions. He is presently serving a life sentence in prison. The Republicans argue that the public is increasingly opposed to abortion. But the proportion of Americans who want to ban abortion has held steady, from 22% in 1975 to 21% in 2014.

Source: Medindia