At the top of the agenda: legislation that would ban abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later, pushing the legal boundaries set by the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. Activists on both sides of the debate are gearing up for a fight that will demonstrate the consequences of Republican gains in the 2014 election.
“Unfortunately there has been gridlock on the abortion issue in Washington,” said Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, a religious conservative group. She added: “This is going to be a put-up-or-shut-up moment.”
Opponents say the measure attempts to chip away at abortion rights that are guaranteed under Roe and is aimed at striking down the landmark ruling…
Only 1.3% of abortions occur after 21 weeks, the benchmark used by the federal agency that tracks the procedure. But abortion-rights advocates argue that the women affected are particularly vulnerable, facing personal health risks or carrying severely disabled babies. Ultrasound exams, which can reveal previously undetected abnormalities, are typically done at 20 weeks.
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