ABORTION/POLITICS: “The Senate on Monday [1-29-18] evening is set to consider a bill criminalizing abortions performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy, a vote that is almost certain to fail but may force Democrats up for re-election in largely Republican states to publicly take sides on the issue.
The legislation has become a core plank of the antiabortion movement’s federal strategy, and its leaders plan to force lawmakers to repeatedly cast votes on the issue to raise public awareness. The House passed an identical bill in October on a party-line vote and has passed similar legislation three times since 2013…
Mr. Trump secured the support of many social conservatives when he promised during the 2016 campaign to adopt the antiabortion movement’s top priorities, including the ban on abortions after 20 weeks. His administration has taken other significant steps to restrict access to the procedure, including allowing states to exclude abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid and Title X family planning programs.
Planned Parenthood, which runs a similar political operation and supports abortion rights, spent $30 million in 2016 supporting Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Senate Democratic candidates, a funding commitment it hopes to match this year, according to a spokeswoman.”
-Michelle Hackman and Natalie Andrews, “Senate Plans Vote on Bill Banning Abortions After 20 Weeks,” The Wall Street Journal online, Jan. 29, 2018 07:00am