Posted on 07/27/2013 3:10:59 AM PDT by IbJensen
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 26, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – After several weeks of speculation, Senator Marco Rubio, R-FL, confirmed this week that he wants to introduce a bill banning abortions nationwide after 20 weeks, when experts say unborn children can feel pain.
“I feel very strongly about this issue,” Rubio said. “And I’d like to be the lead sponsor on it if we can find language that we can unify people behind.”
Congressman Trent Franks, R-AZ, who authored the House version of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, told LifeSiteNews.com earlier this month that Rubio planned to introduce the Senate version but asked it be kept off the record until Rubio made a public announcement.
Rubio explained the legislation had been delayed due to the fact that he and his colleagues want to be sure the legislation’s wording is constitutionally bulletproof before introducing it.
“What we have among pro-life supporters in the Senate is a difference of opinion about: Which constitutionally enumerated power is this flowing under?” Rubio told Politico. “We just have not yet been able to come to a consensus on that.” Under law, Senate bills must specify which constitutional provision authorizes it.
The senator also left room for the possibility that someone else may eventually take the lead in championing the legislation.
“If someone else would like to do it instead of me, I’m more than happy to consider it,” Rubio said. “But I’d like to be the lead sponsor.”
Rubio, who is expected to be a top contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, had been expected to announce his intention to sponsor the bill since three weeks ago, when he told press outlets that he had agreed to do it.
If Rubio is going to introduce the bill, now would seem an opportune time. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that more than half of Americans support restricting abortion after 20 weeks. In January, Gallup found that 64 percent of Americans believe abortion should be illegal after the first trimester, and 80 percent believe it should be outlawed in the third trimester.
Click "like" if you want to end abortion!
It’s likely internal debate over the bill’s language will center on whether to include controversial exceptions for rape, incest, birth defects, and/or the health of the mother.
Franks’ bill was originally introduced with only an exception to save the mother’s life, but under intense media scrutiny and outcry from abortion supporters, it was amended to include exceptions for rape and incest before it passed the House in June.
Pro-abortion critics of the proposed ban argue that excluding such exceptions amounts to forcing victims of crimes or illness to give birth against their will. But pro-life legislators and activists say that the ban doesn’t go into effect until five months into a woman’s pregnancy, giving her ample time to make such a decision.
And a growing number of people conceived in rape and incest have been speaking out against the so-called “rape exception,” arguing that children like them don’t deserve the death penalty for their fathers’ crimes.
Despite popular support for more restrictions, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, has said any legislation to limit abortion will be dead on arrival in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
“The majority leader’s opposition to this puts him outside the mainstream of the American public,” Rubio said on Wednesday. “They love to cite polls all the time — and well, I don’t live by polls — but polls indicate that the vast majority of Americans believe that after 20 weeks, abortion should be limited.”
Americans’ awareness of late term abortion has heightened after the recent “House of Horrors” murder trial that saw abortionist Kermit Gosnell sentenced to three consecutive life terms in prison for severing the spines of babies who survived late term abortion procedures at his filthy West Philadelphia clinic.
Around the same time, the pro-life activist group Live Action released a series of undercover videos exposing late-term abortionists and their staff telling patients to flush live babies down the toilet and vowing not to provide lifesaving care to babies born alive after botched abortions.
According to Florida-based political analyst Jeff Henderson, “in calling for moving the abortion ban from 24 weeks to 20 weeks, Rubio has his finger on the pulse of the American electorate.”
Writing for the Sunshine State News, Henderson said Rubio should jump on the opportunity to be a hero on what he believes is a winning issue.
“Since a majority of Americans are with Rubio on this issue, it’s a chance to use one of Democrats’ favorite tactics against them and paint them as out of touch and extremists on the issue,” Henderson wrote. “Rubio would be wise to play up his stance here as much as he can in the months to come and into the 2016 election.”
Why didn't you sponsor a bill to outlaw all abortion?
Is this the way you think you're going to redeem yourself in the eyes of true Conservative Americans? If so you didn't quite succeed. You're so anxious to get your name on a piece of legislation that you think will erase the stigma of your siding with Schumer, et al, to advance full benefits of citizenship for illegal trespassers.
I’m sick of politicians talking about how they feeeeuuuuuuhhhhhl about serious issues. How about talking about what you believe, Marco? Too many are like you and only believe in getting re-elected.
Maybe you should reform immigration by enforcing the 1986 act and building the wall, that is if you believe (or feel, for that matter) that we are a nation of laws and not of men.
There's been an awful lot of that from him lately. He means the kind of language that substitutes "normalization" for "amnesty" but legally they will interpret it as the same word. It seems to me he's just trying to get back "in" now that he's f@cked up on immigration.
I am so disgusted with this ‘Dumbo’.
The feeling is so much worse since I contributed money to his campaign and believed him to be a real Consevative; instead we get this kind of performance.
The Tea Party needs to get regenerated big time and get behind a true right-wing candidate who will carry scores of like minded Conservatives into office. Clean out the plush offices of those RINOs.
Bingo! Just what I was thinking. He's trying to divert attention from his traitorous ways.
I hear ya!
My new criterion for supporting and donating is based on what a candidate says about immigration.
If they even utter the words “comprehensive immigration reform,” they don’t get squat from me.
The only action I want seen on ‘illegal immigration’ is rigorous enforcement of existing laws.
I don’t care how hard they work here, what they’ve contributed, how many anchor babies they downloaded here or whatever little in taxes they pay. I don’t want any of them allowed a shot at citizenship; they broke our laws, stole the identities of our citizens and have crippled our public services. There is no way in hell ANY of them should be able to become a citizen. They are criminals.
Our government is a "reality" show aired in daily segments on newscasts. Rubio is one of this season's actors.
The Tease: "What will Marco come up with to once again win the support of conservatives? Who will he partner with on the trek up Capitol Hill? Watch at noon, five, six, ten, eleven and on the morning news too!" [most days this gets preempted by "The Obama Show"]
Marco who?
Rubio has proved to be just another political windbag. He goes about destroying the country with his illegal amnesty program and now he tries to get into the good graces of the right with his stance on abortion.
Bottom line this douche can’t be trusted. Allan West for Senate!
Abortion is the last refuge of a RINO scoundrel....
We Cons are indebted to Schumer for showing what a rube Rubio is. Played him like a fiddle.
He now plans to amend his own bill to include illegal aliens in that action.
No abortion or deportation after 20 weeks. If they make it 20 weeks they are free.
Too little too late pedro... go back to fidel you pos.
LLS
I'm still wondering how ANYBODY could be "played" by Schumer. He's such an obvious hack. He would be the used car salesman on the lot with the plaid suit - the one that everybody avoids. Including his co-workers.
And yet, somebody actually takes this guy seriously.
As for Rubio - he's off my list of acceptable candidates due to his role in trying to cram amnesty down our throats. You'd think that a RepubLICKan would have learned by now that the people don't want that.
Too many in the RepubLICKan big business wing are perfectly happy to be a permanent minority as long as they get a fair share of the goodies bestowed by their Uncle Sugar.
Next he’s going to sponsor a bill banning flag burning.
Phony hack.
Other than abortion, what good is he? Another Republican who is really a democrat except for holding the line on abortion. (somewhat)
I’ll stay home rather than vote for him.
Zzzzz.
Is he gone yet?
“Marco who?”
Senator Marco Rino!
Meh...a Cafeteria Conservative at best....
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