Laying the groundwork
by digby
Just as they spent years demagogueing "partial birth abortion" they anti-abortion fetishists are now laying the groundwork to form a "consensus" that abortion should be completely illegal after 20 weeks. And they're doing it in similar fashion, by lying about the science to increase the ick factor.
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is planning to introduce a bill in the Senate that would ban abortion after 20 weeks, the Weekly Standard reported on Wednesday. The bill is meant to mirror anti-abortion legislation passed last month by the House of Representatives.
Under the plan reportedly being proposed by Rubio, a woman would be unable to get an abortion beyond 20 weeks gestation. And though the bill does include exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and if the life of the mother is at risk, it doesn’t appear to make exceptions if a woman’s health is at stake.
The foundation for this legislation is a scientifically disputed idea that fetuses can feel pain after 20 weeks. It is the same motivation that has driven such bans at the state level. Most recently, Texas has taken the national spotlight for its proposed 20-week ban, and eight other states have passed ‘fetal pain’ laws.
If Rubio really does move this bill forward, it would be more for the purposes of political showmanship than real policy-making. The bill doesn’t stand a chance of passing through the Democratically-controlled Senate. Additionally, there is a serious question about the constitutionality of a 20-week ban. Three of those eight states that have passed such bans had to put their laws on hold, since courts have contested their constitutionality.
To all those who think that just because their rights are secured today it means their rights are secured forever, think again. They won't pass this today. But the fact that they're even trying 40 years after Roe vs wade should startle people out of their complacency.
And to fatuous columnists like Melinda Hennenberger, who bring up the European laws that ban abortion after 20 weeks to hit abortion rights advocates over the head but neglect to mention that in these countries abortion is affordable and easily accessible to everyone without any shame or obstacle before then, just shut up. We know they want to ban abortion entirely, they have made that very clear. So all this bellyaching about abortions after 20 weeks is obviously a convenient increment on the road to achieving their final goal.
Just because she is a Villager in good standing doesn't mean she's any different than the shrieking zealots who stand outside abortion clinics waving bloody pictures and raving incoherently. In fact, she's worse. Because she's a liar.
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