A bill that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks gestation passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday, and President Donald Trump said he would sign the bill into law if it makes it to his desk in present form.
In a statement released Monday, Trump's office said the White House "strongly supports" the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR36), sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks, R-Arizona. The bill, also known as "Micah's Law," had 170 co-sponsors.
If enacted, the bill would "facilitate the culture of life to which our Nation aspires," the White House statement read, and would "promote a science-based approach to unborn life."
The statement mentioned recent research showing a fetus feels pain 20 weeks into development. Critics maintain the science is iffy, and cite a FactCheck.org page that interviewed experts who say, while a fetus might react at 20 weeks, it is not clear it is feeling pain.
Nevertheless, the White House counters, "The United States is currently out of the mainstream in the family of nations, in which only seven out of 198 nations allow elective abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy."
The statistic is from a 2014 report by the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute.
But the measure will not reach Trump because Senate Democrats have enough votes to kill it with a filibuster — a delaying tactic that takes 60 votes to overcome.
The measure remains a top priority of anti-abortion groups. Women undergoing such abortions would not be prosecuted.
House debate came a week after the collapse of a GOP effort to repeal much of President Barack Obama's healthcare law. The repeal would have also have blocked federal money for Planned Parenthood.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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