House to vote on legislation banning abortions after 20 weeks

The House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks.

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published 3 October 2017

The House of Representatives is set to vote Tuesday on a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, CNN reports. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act — which leaves open exceptions in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother's life is at risk — has failed in similar iterations in recent years, although President Trump announced his support of the legislation on Monday:

"America's children deserve ... stronger protections," the White House wrote in a statement. During the campaign, Trump additionally vowed "[to sign] into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would end painful late-term abortions nationwide."

Planned Parenthood and other pro-choice activists have called the ban unconstitutional:

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If the legislation passes the House, it could stall in the Senate; Republican Whip Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the bill is "not a near-term priority."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.