House to vote on D.C. abortion measure

Aug 1 2012

The House is scheduled to vote Tuesday under suspension of the rules on legislation that would limit abortions in D.C. Specifically, the measure would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except when the pregnancy is a danger to the life of the mother.   

CQ HealthBeat: District Of Columbia Abortion Bill Placed On Right To Life Vote List
Anti-abortion groups are closely watching a House floor vote on a bill this week to limit abortions in the District of Columbia, but a high voting threshold may jeopardize passage. The House on Tuesday is scheduled to take up, under suspension of the rules, a bill to ban abortions in D.C. after 20 weeks of pregnancy except when the pregnancy would endanger the woman's life. The measure is a priority for the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) and other anti-abortion groups, which have been lobbying for a floor vote for months. The NRLC says it will "score" the vote to record where lawmakers stand on the issue (Ethridge, 7/30).

The Hill: Planned Parenthood, NARAL To Score House Abortion Vote
Groups that support abortion rights say they will score Tuesday's scheduled vote in the House on legislation that would ban abortions after 20 weeks in the District of Columbia. Planned Parenthood Federation of America and NARAL Pro-Choice America said they would inform their members and the public as to which lawmakers vote in favor of the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Introduced by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) in January, the bill proposes prohibiting abortions past the 20-week gestation period solely in the District (Siegelbaum, 7/30).