Senate Rejects Measure to Ban Abortion After 20 Weeks of Pregnancy

[Eugene]

Source: New York Times

By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG JAN. 29, 2018

WASHINGTON — The Senate rejected a bill on Monday to ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, a largely symbolic vote aimed at forcing vulnerable Democrats to take a stand that could hurt their prospects for re-election in states won by President Trump.

By a vote of 51 to 46, the measure fell well short of the 60-vote threshold required for the Senate to break a Democratic filibuster. The outcome was not a surprise, and the vote fell mostly along party lines.

The Senate voted on a similar measure in 2015. At that time three Democrats — Senators Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia — voted in favor of it. All three are up for re-election this year in states that Mr. Trump carried, and all of them voted in favor of the measure again on Monday. Two Republicans — Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — voted against it.

The bill, which has the strong backing of the Trump administration, is identical to one that passed the House in October and similar to legislation that has been adopted in 20 states. It would make nearly all abortions after 20 weeks illegal; anyone who performed the procedure could face a potential prison term of five years, fines or both, though exceptions could be made when the life of the mother was at risk, or in cases of rape or incest.

-snip-


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/us/politics/senate-abortion-ban-20-weeks.html

[Wounded Bear]

1. Good...

By any rights, the abortion issue should be dead, but the Zombie Talebangelists keep resurrecting it.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. I knew that couldn't garner 60 votes to proceed.

Thank goodness.

[yallerdawg]

3. "Democrats reject measure!"

As long as we still have the 60-vote "filibuster" rule we can stop a lot of their ongoing "war on women."

Even R's Collins and Murkowski weren't having any of it!

[melm00se]

11. The so called "nuclear option"

votes like this are why both sides must resist the "nuclear option" to change the filibuster/cloture rules from the current 60 to a straight majority vote.

While it may solve a right now issue (like when many here called for changing the rules during the Obama Administration when Democratic Party held a majority in the Senate), it can quite easily come back as a bite on the ass when the tables are turned.

[Freddie]

4. So Casey's a great senator except for the hating women part

I'll have to vote for him as he's s reliable vote on every other issue, and ANY Dem is better than any Repug.

[angrychair]

5. Democrats voting against a womens HUMAN RIGHTS

Doesn’t work in their favor, even in RED STATES, according to recent polling:

https://www.vox.com/2018/1/22/16919080/abortion-roe-v-wade-democrats

[nitpicker]

10. Those Dems that didn't vote against this bill

Casey, Donnelly, and Manchin all voted FOR it

Baldwin and Nelson did not vote.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. I'd like to say that I don't think that this measure doesn't have widespread support in the country

though I understand why a few vulnerable "red-state" Democrats, including my own Joe Donnelly, did it. Sucks that, even in this day and age, we still have to pander to "red state" voters with votes on measures like this, which gives them some veneer of validity and "bipartisanship".

[angrychair]

9. Red State vulnerability is a crutch

Democrats voting against Abortion can actually do more harm than good, even in red states

https://www.vox.com/2018/1/22/16919080/abortion-roe-v-wade-democrats

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. I read the article and agree with it

I think that some Blue Dog Democrats are so used to having to do it that they're not realizing that attitudes about abortion are (slowly) shifting towards the pro-choice side (or that other issues are taking precedence) and that anti-choice abortion politics may be losing some potency, even in "red states" and, in some cases, even repelling possible liberal/Democratic support.

[angrychair]

14. Voting in favor of treating women

Like actual human beings with human rights is never wrong.

If our only goal is to do whatever we have to get elected than what makes us different?
I fail to see how continuing to attack women, people of color and the poor, by voting with republicans, makes you anything other than a republican?

If our only way to get elected is to vote like republicans than all is already lost.

Stand for something or fall for anything.

[mountain grammy]

7. I lose a little piece of my mind

everytime lawmakers step on women, and that's exactly what abortion restrictions are.. stepping on women. No legislator has the right to make these laws restricting women's personal decisions and health, period.

[DownriverDem]

8. What they really want

The repubs want one of their anti abortion laws to go before the Supreme Court. They are counting on Gorsuch to be the final vote to overturn Roe v Wade.

[riversedge]

12. a victory for a while. Repugs will be back.

[Cold War Spook]

15. I bet

that Democrat Senators that voted for it and up for reelection in red states knew what the outcome would be even with them voting yes.

[Sunlei]

16. rape & incest, I don't understand why devoutly anti abortion persons are willing to kill a healthy

healthy baby?

never understood that rape & incest reasoning. health of mother I can understand, a baby couldn't survive without a living Mother.