Protestors express their views at a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain in October 2012.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday banning abortions of unborn children that are 20 weeks or older by a 242-184 vote, and will be passed on to the Senate for their votes.
The bill, called the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, cites research and evidence that unborn children 20 weeks or older show signs of experiencing pain, and states, "It is the purpose of the Congress to assert a compelling governmental interest in protecting the lives of unborn children from the stage at which substantial medical evidence indicates that they are capable of feeling pain."
"I didn't need my parents to tell me that every child is a gift from God," House Speaker John Boehner said during a floor speech. "But let me tell you, they did -- early and often. Because that respect -- that sanctity and dignity -- is everything."
The bill was originally planned to be voted upon in the House in January on the same day as the annual March for Life in Washington.
However, the vote was delayed due to concerns about a lack of protection for cases of rape or incest, which are now included in the bill. Previously, the bill only made exceptions for women who reported incidents of rape or incest prior to the abortion, which opponents argued placed a harsh requirement on the women. The current bill now also allows exceptions for women who received counseling and/or medical treatment related to the rape at least 48 hours before the abortion, with which many opponents were satisfied.
"This has a much less punitive substance to it," Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) told the Associated Press. "It's important that when we look at the care of women who are in crisis that we make sure they're totally taken care of."
Though the Republican-majority House was able to vote in favor of the bill, most reports seem pessimistic in their predictions that the bill will find favor in the Senate and with President Obama, and many are cynical that the motives of congressmen and the President behind this bill will be genuine. Some believe Democrats and President Obama would want to use this opportunity to show their alignment with the beliefs of pro-choice supporters, and that Republicans would use this opportunity to garner more support by saying they will continue to push pro-life legislation if more Republicans are voted in.
CNN reports that President Obama promised to veto the earlier version of the House bill in January.
