Sen. Lindsey Graham has slashed a rape-reporting requirement from his midterm abortion ban, which had stymied his House colleagues early this year.
The measure now says women at least 20 weeks pregnant who are seeking an abortion because of a rape must report the crime to a doctor or counselor, rather than law enforcement, as the original bill said.
Graham, R-S.C., reintroduced his bill Thursday, which bans abortions about midway through pregnancy except in cases of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is at stake. It now parallels a measure the House passed last month, after House Republicans spent several months revising it.
Abortion opponents have achieved marked success around the country with what’s known as “pain capable” legislation, with more than a dozen states passing such measures in recent years. Now they’re trying to get a federal ban passed, although President Obama would certainly veto it.
“What I want to do is make the American people think long and hard about wholesale abortions at 20 weeks,” Graham said.
The measure’s next step would be for the Senate to pass it. Graham vowed Thursday his bill will at least get a vote this year, but he also acknowledged its passage is doubtful. While 40 Republicans have signed on to the bill, it will be hard if not impossible to gather the 60 votes likely needed.
“How many votes we get, I don’t know,” Graham said. “But here’s what I will predict, over time we will win … I don’t know when that day will come, but there will be a day when this bill is signed into law and there will be babies who will benefit from this.”
Softening the rape reporting requirement removed a serious roadblock to passing the measure in the House, where several female Republicans withdrew their support until that part was revised. House leaders were forced to abruptly table a vote in January, but with the changes were able to achieve wide passage in May.
Premised on the idea that a fetus can feel pain past 20 weeks of pregnancy — and therefore shouldn’t be aborted — the bill is supported by all the leading anti-abortion groups but opposed by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
“Legislative efforts to limit abortions after 20 weeks represent an obvious attempt to restrict the ability of American women to get the care they need, when they need it,” said the group’s president, Mark DeFrancesco.
“The clear consensus by leading medical groups is that a 20-week ban on abortion would interfere with the physician-patient relationship at a time women are in need of quality, compassionate care,” he said.
