A House committee is scheduled to vote on Wednesday on a bill that would forbid abortions in Washington, D.C. after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The House Judiciary Committee was set to vote on the abortion bill last week, but a crowded agenda led them to delay the matter. The decision is expected to take place on the House floor.
The legislation is based on the disputed claim that fetuses can feel pain at the age of 20 weeks or older. The National Right to Life Committee, an anti-abortion group, has made the bill its top priority on Capitol Hill this year. Nine states have passed similar legislation. Opponents of the legislation say the bill is an attempt to undermine a woman’s right to an abortion and an intrusion upon D.C.’s self-rule.
