Washington : The Republicans-dominated US House of Representatives has approved a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, a vote slammed by women’s rights activists as “unconstitutional”. The House voted 242 to 184 in favor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The House has said it would veto the bill, reports PTI.
“The bill continues to add a harsh burden to survivors of sexual assault, rape and incest who are already enduring unimaginable hardship,” said Josh Earnest, the White House Press Secretary. “The bill puts women’s health and rights at risk, undermines the role doctors play in health care decisions, burdens survivors of sexual assault, and is not based on sound science,” said Hillary for America Senior Policy Advisor Maya Harris.
“In just the first three months of 2015, more than 300 bills have been introduced in state legislatures — on top of the nearly 30 measures introduced in Congress — that restrict access to abortion,” Harris said.
The Act would ban abortions from 20 weeks after fertilization. “Passing an unconstitutional nationwide ban on later abortions does nothing to help women — instead, it threatens their health and lives and interferes in their personal medical decisions,” said Gretchen Borchelt, vice president for health and reproductive rights for the National Women’s Law Center in a statement.
Lalit K Jha
