House Republicans addressed abortion Wednesday for the first time in their new role controlling the chamber, passing two pieces of legislation with their razor-thin majority.
The votes come after the reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court last summer, which factored heavily into voter behavior in the November midterms, particularly in states where abortion issues were on the ballot. Voters in several states rejected antiabortion measures, while other states voted to codify abortion protections into law.
The House adopted a resolution in a 222-209 vote, which carries no legislative weight, that condemns attacks on “pro-life facilities, groups and churches.” Reps. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Tex.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) were the only Democrats to support the measure.
“This resolution is straightforward,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said on the House floor ahead of the vote. “This is a resolution that says we appreciate the good work that happens at crisis pregnancy centers where they take in women, where they help them and help that unborn child so that unborn child gets to experience the gift of life.”
Democrats countered that abortion providers have been under attack for decades, noting specifically the murder of physician George Tiller in Kansas in 2009. In silent protest, a majority of Democratic women wore white before and during the vote, a sign of support for women’s rights stemming from a nod to the suffragette movement.
“If you’re going to put a resolution out on violence against churches and fake pregnancy centers, why are we not also addressing violence against abortion providers and violence in general, right?” said Mini Timmaraju, the head of prominent abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America.
The House also passed the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in a 220-210 vote, which is aimed at compelling doctors to provide care to infants who survive an attempted abortion, a situation that is rare. Some experts say there were already protections for infants included in a 2002 law and even before that established infants have the rights of a full person. The legislation adds new penalties, including fines or imprisonment of up to five years for health-care providers who do not comply.
When the bill passed, Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), who sponsored it, looked visibly emotional as she received a hug from Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) She then victoriously lifted the legislation in her hand and waved it around as her colleagues clapped.
The Senate, however, is not expected to take up the legislation.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.), an antiabortion Democrat who won a contentious primary runoff race last year, was the only Democrat who voted for the legislation, but was against the resolution condemning attacks on antiabortion facilities.
“I agree with protecting the pro-life facilities, but I’m one of those, ‘Hey, make it balanced. You should include also abortion clinics,’" he said after leaving the House floor.
The proposals under consideration Wednesday are more measured than the legislation Republican leaders had seriously considered introducing had they won a larger majority in the midterms. Besides the legislation on survivors of attempted abortion, leaders had considered introducing Rep. Christopher H. Smith’s (R-N.J.) bill that would “ban the use of federal funds for abortions or for health coverage that includes abortions” — often referred to as the Hyde Amendment — and prohibit abortions from being performed at federal health-care facilities or by a federal employee.
Smith, who ran for Congress in 1980 to overturn Roe v. Wade, said he believes there will be a vote on the measure potentially in a few weeks.
Leaders had also considered voting on Smith’s abortion ban legislation, known as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, early in the legislative session. The bill, which Smith has repeatedly introduced, had been rewritten to ban abortions beginning at 15 weeks, down from 20, following the rollback of Roe. But the legislation was met with fierce criticism after Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) introduced the Senate counterpart ahead of the midterms, which angered Republicans who feared that discussing abortion ahead of November could negatively influence voters who had yet to decide which party to cast their ballots for.
The bill has not been put on a House schedule yet and was pulled from consideration in 2015 under a Republican majority because several lawmakers believed the exception provision went too far.
The votes come after the reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court last summer, which factored heavily into voter behavior in the November midterms, particularly in states where abortion issues were on the ballot. Voters in several states rejected antiabortion measures, while other states voted to codify abortion protections into law.
The House adopted a resolution in a 222-209 vote, which carries no legislative weight, that condemns attacks on “pro-life facilities, groups and churches.” Reps. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Tex.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) were the only Democrats to support the measure.
“This resolution is straightforward,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said on the House floor ahead of the vote. “This is a resolution that says we appreciate the good work that happens at crisis pregnancy centers where they take in women, where they help them and help that unborn child so that unborn child gets to experience the gift of life.”
Democrats countered that abortion providers have been under attack for decades, noting specifically the murder of physician George Tiller in Kansas in 2009. In silent protest, a majority of Democratic women wore white before and during the vote, a sign of support for women’s rights stemming from a nod to the suffragette movement.
“If you’re going to put a resolution out on violence against churches and fake pregnancy centers, why are we not also addressing violence against abortion providers and violence in general, right?” said Mini Timmaraju, the head of prominent abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America.
The House also passed the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in a 220-210 vote, which is aimed at compelling doctors to provide care to infants who survive an attempted abortion, a situation that is rare. Some experts say there were already protections for infants included in a 2002 law and even before that established infants have the rights of a full person. The legislation adds new penalties, including fines or imprisonment of up to five years for health-care providers who do not comply.
When the bill passed, Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), who sponsored it, looked visibly emotional as she received a hug from Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) She then victoriously lifted the legislation in her hand and waved it around as her colleagues clapped.
The Senate, however, is not expected to take up the legislation.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.), an antiabortion Democrat who won a contentious primary runoff race last year, was the only Democrat who voted for the legislation, but was against the resolution condemning attacks on antiabortion facilities.
“I agree with protecting the pro-life facilities, but I’m one of those, ‘Hey, make it balanced. You should include also abortion clinics,’" he said after leaving the House floor.
The proposals under consideration Wednesday are more measured than the legislation Republican leaders had seriously considered introducing had they won a larger majority in the midterms. Besides the legislation on survivors of attempted abortion, leaders had considered introducing Rep. Christopher H. Smith’s (R-N.J.) bill that would “ban the use of federal funds for abortions or for health coverage that includes abortions” — often referred to as the Hyde Amendment — and prohibit abortions from being performed at federal health-care facilities or by a federal employee.
Smith, who ran for Congress in 1980 to overturn Roe v. Wade, said he believes there will be a vote on the measure potentially in a few weeks.
Leaders had also considered voting on Smith’s abortion ban legislation, known as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, early in the legislative session. The bill, which Smith has repeatedly introduced, had been rewritten to ban abortions beginning at 15 weeks, down from 20, following the rollback of Roe. But the legislation was met with fierce criticism after Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) introduced the Senate counterpart ahead of the midterms, which angered Republicans who feared that discussing abortion ahead of November could negatively influence voters who had yet to decide which party to cast their ballots for.
The bill has not been put on a House schedule yet and was pulled from consideration in 2015 under a Republican majority because several lawmakers believed the exception provision went too far.