20-week ban on abortion introduced in U.S. Senate

On Thursday, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This is already encouraging news, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has promised it will come up for a vote, which never turned out to be the case under the leadership of Senator Harry Reid (D-NV).

The bill passed the U.S. House of Repsentatives last month, by a vote of 242 to 184. The vote took place on the anniversary of the murder conviction of abortionist Kermit Gosnell. The bill would prohibit abortions on a federal level past 20 weeks, with exceptions. The passage of this bill, even if it does not ultimately become law —with a promised veto by President Obama —brings hope and encouragement that legislation is moving in the right direction. Several states have already passed their own versions of a 20-week ban, with some states including similar legislation for consideration this session.

Given that life begins at conception, all preborn children should be legally protected from abortion. For now, this is certainly a step in the right direction. While abortion advocates bemoan a 20-week ban on pain-capable preborn children, they seem to be woefully and willfully ignorant of the fact that abortion so late in term is not only agonizing for the child, but more dangerous for the mother. They also must be unaware of the fact that the United States is one of only seven nations which allows for abortions so late in term.

Abortion advocates would like to tell you that women who have late-term abortions do so because the mother or child becomes afflicted with a health problem. This is not the case, though, and the invasive and dangerous procedure that is late-term abortion is performed for more socioeconomic reasons. The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion organization, noted in a study, that it could not find one instance of a late-term abortion done for health reasons. And, even more tragically, almost one-third of women who abort so late in pregnancy will do so again.

Further, it is not rare. The Guttmacher Institute also reported that 1.2 percent of abortions were performed after 21 weeks. That number doesn’t seem so small or insignicant when it turns out to be 18,000 a year, or 50 a day. This is the excruciating death of actual human beings, too, we’re talking about.

This claim is being spouted by the Huffington Post, which often writes pieces in support of abortion. Writer Laura Bassett mentions that the American Congress of Gynocologists and Obstetricians oppose; however, readers should be forewarned: this group is pro-abortion.

It is also curious to note that Bassett titles her piece “Lindsey Graham Reintroduces 20-Week Abortion Ban: ‘I Am Dying For That Debate.’” Is the quote from the senator considered insulting? If so, Huffington Post needs to try harder! While Graham may not literally be dying, one can understand the anticipation and hope when the Senate finally votes on the bill.

And let us not forget a more sobering thought: there are preborn children dying, and they are the innocent, defenseless and vulnerable children.