“This is something we can all get together on,” said Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), who’s sponsoring the bill in the House with Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. “The truth is this bill is a deeply sincere effort to protect both mothers and their pain-capable unborn babies.”
White House hopefuls like Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are also embracing the legislation. National Republican leaders believe the GOP’s focus on the 20-week ban could pay big dividends at the ballot box.
“We believe we’re doing the right thing. And I think that the politics of it, in my view, are changing around the country, too,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 3 Senate Republican. “If you define these issues the right way, I think you get to a point where you really do have good, strong public support.”
Abortion-rights advocates say the proposal is more extreme than it sounds, calling it a significant assault on Roe and noting that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said no legitimate scientific information supports that idea that fetuses feel pain at 20 weeks. And Republicans in many state legislatures continue to push even more aggressive efforts to whittle away at abortion rights, including with laws requiring ultrasounds, increased waiting periods and hospital-like construction standards for abortion clinics.
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