Obama Tweets Support for Lawmaker Filibustering Late-Term Abortion Ban

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jun 25, 2013   |   11:00PM   |   Washington, DC

President Barack Obama last week promised he would veto a bill that would ban abortions nationally after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Today, he supported a Texas state legislator who is filibustering against a bill in the Texas legislature that would also ban late-term abortions from 20 weeks up to the day of birth.

 

After the Texas House of Representatives passed the omnibus pro-life bill to ban abortions after 20-weeks of pregnancy, Democrats in the state Senate filibustered the measure today.

The House approved the bill early Monday morning after 8 hours of debate by a vote of 97-33 with 5 Democrats voting in favor of the bill and one Republican voting against.

According to Texas Right to Life, Senate Bill 5 would affirm the state’s interest in protecting the lives of preborn children who feel pain by banning abortion at 20 weeks post-fertilization.

Senate Bill 5 also requires all abortion clinics to meet the same health and safety regulations as an ambulatory surgical center, requires a doctor providing abortions to secure admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, and lastly, requires a doctor to personally administer the abortion-inducing drugs to the patient.

But Democrats oppose the bill claiming it would put many abortion facilities that can’t comply with the basic health and safety laws out of business. Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, has been in the middle of a filibuster for 13 hours today.