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 The Republican-led House approved the bill by a largely party-line
vote of 242-184. An earlier version was pulled by House Republican
leaders in January after a revolt by some Republican women in the
chamber.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte called Wednesday's
vote "a victory for the most innocent and defenseless among us, our
children."
"Extensive medical research shows that unborn children begin to feel
pain by 20 weeks post fertilization, and probably earlier," the
Virginia Republican said.
The bill, called the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, faces
an uncertain fate in the Senate. White House spokesman Josh Earnest
said on Wednesday the Obama administration continued to strongly
oppose the bill.
“It's disgraceful that House Republicans would be considering a
party-line vote on a piece of legislation that would continue to
impose even additional harsh burdens on survivors of sexual assault,
rape and incest,” Earnest told a White House briefing before
Wednesday's vote.
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The Center for Reproductive Rights called the bill "cruel and
unconstitutional," saying it contained exceptions only for women
with life-threatening conditions, rape survivors who have gotten
medical care or counseling at least 48 hours before seeking an
abortion, and minors who reported rape or incest to law enforcement
or child protection agencies.
(Reporting by Peter Cooney; Editing by Eric Beech)
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