Pain-capable abortion bill fails to advance in Senate

WASHINGTON—Legislation to protect the unborn from abortion after 20 weeks’ development—when doctors say babies can experience pain—failed to advance in the Senate Monday evening. The procedural vote to end debate on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act failed to secure the necessary 60 votes to advance the bill. The Senate voted 51-46 on the motion to proceed, with three Democrats—Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia—breaking with their party to support the bill. All three lawmakers face reelection this year in states President Donald Trump won in 2016. GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted no. The House of Representative passed an identical bill in October. Shortly before Monday’s vote, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., noted that the United States is one of only a handful of nations that permit late-term abortions. “There’s a reason there are only seven countries in the world that allow this,” he said. “The question for America is do we want to stay in this club. Or do we want to get out? I want out.” Graham’s bill would have criminalized the act with the exceptions of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother. President Trump called Monday’s vote “disappointing,” adding, “We must defend those who cannot defend themselves.”