Goodlatte and Franks Applaud House Passage of Bill to Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks
Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives today approved the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36) by a vote of 242-184, which would ban abortions, with limited exceptions, in the United States after 20 weeks post fertilization.
Since the Supreme Court’s controversial decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973, medical knowledge regarding the development of unborn babies and their capacities at various stages of growth has advanced dramatically. Extensive medical research shows that unborn children begin to feel pain by 20 weeks post fertilization, and probably earlier. Also passed during the 113th Congress, the legislation would directly acknowledge advances in medical research and guarantee unborn children the necessary protections from late term abortions.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), chief sponsor of thePain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, praised today’s vote by the House of Representatives.
Chairman Goodlatte: “House passage of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is a victory for the most innocent and defenseless among us, our children.
“The passage of today’s bill comes on the anniversary of the conviction of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, who was found guilty of murdering three babies by severing their spinal cords following unsuccessful abortions. The facts uncovered during the course of the trial of late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell, and successive reports of similar atrocities committed across the country, remind us how an atmosphere of insensitivity can lead to horrific brutality.
“Current medical research tells us that late-term abortions are cruel to unborn children and do not exist in the gray areas of morality. Additionally, the majority of the American people—including women, independent voters, and those between the ages of 18-29 years old—support an end to cruel and atrocious practice.
“In the 2007 Supreme Court case Gonzales v. Carhart, the Supreme Court made clear that Congress may show such respect for the unborn through “specific regulation because it implicates additional ethical and moral concerns that justify a special prohibition.”
“Today the House of Representatives once again took a stand against such atrocities and passed legislation that protects babies from such cruelty by banning late term abortions. Delivered or not, babies are babies, and it has been shown that they can feel pain at least by 20 weeks. These babies deserve to live.”
Subcommittee Chairman Franks: "I want to express my deepest and sincerest gratitude to my colleagues who not only played a role in the creation and development of The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act but who also voted today to protect little pain capable unborn babies. I especially want to thank the leadership of the House for bringing it to a vote on this unique day. Exactly two years ago to the day, one Kermit Gosnell was convicted of killing a mother and murdering innocent, late term, pain capable babies in his grisly torture chamber abortion clinic.
"This bill is a deeply sincere effort to protect both mothers and their little pain capable unborn babies entering their sixth month of pregnancy from the unspeakable cruelty of evil monsters like Kermit Gosnell. The historic passage of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act proves that those of us privileged to live and breathe in this the land of the free and the home of the brave finally came together with our minds and hearts open to the humanity of these little victims and the inhumanity of what is being done to them."