The Nevada LIFE Blog

Pain Capable Bill Would Be First Federal Ban On Abortions Since Roe.

Ban after 20 weeks based on evidence unborn feels pain by 20 weeks. 

Senate Bill 1670 (S. 1670), The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, S. 1670, an important federal bill to ban the first abortions since Roe v. Wade struck down abortion laws in all 50 states, has passed the House (228-196) and has been introduced into the United States Senate. 

Based on model legislation from National Right to Life, The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S 1670) would ban abortions after 20 weeks based on the evidence that the unborn can feel pain by at least 20 weeks.  Whoever performs after 20 weeks, except in rare instances, “shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.” 

Ten states already have pain capable unborn child protection law on the books.  Texas became the tenth state this summer despite an obscene abortion supporting minority disrupting the proceedings and vote, threats to throw tampons and feminine pads at law makers and, chants of Hail Satan and “(bleep) the church.”  It’s not hard to imagine whose side these abortion supporters think God is on. 

This legislation is important.  Recently we spoke with Nebraska Right to Life’s Julie Albin on Nevada Right to Life’s radio show on Radio Vida 1550 AM about the effectiveness of pain capable unborn child protection laws.  Julie said that after Nebraska’s pain capable unborn child protection bill because law, the notorious abortionist Leroy Carhart quit doing late abortions in their state and now does them in Maryland instead.

These measures are effective in rooting out late term abortions after 20 weeks, humanizing the unborn, and exposing the inhumanity of abortion.  Highlighting the pain capability of the unborn at this point in their new lives also undermines the abortion regime by directly contradicting and exploding their lie that the unborn is nothing but a blob of tissue, mere contents of the uterus, products of conception or an unviable tissue mass.  It also illustrates the extremism and inhumanity of the abortion industry, their advocacy groups and politicians who call laws like this extremist-laws which protect unborn children from the excruciating pain of dismemberment.  64% of Americans support Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection laws prohibiting abortion after 20 weeks. Women support it by more than a 2-1 margin 63-31. 

Another reason this legislation is important is that it says the state has an interest in the unborn child and for this reason can protect him or her before the United State’s Supreme Court’s standard of “viability” -when the unborn can survive without dependence on their mothers.  While the law says it is not intended to replace the “viability” standard, if this stands, it opens the door wider to more and more reasons to ban abortion and until someday we will reach our goal that every unborn child will be protected in law and welcomed in life. 

All of this and more is why National Right to Life is calling this the most important pro-life legislation since the partial birth abortion ban.  Click here to go to National Right to Life’s Action Alert page to ask Nevada Senators Dean Heller and Harry Reid to support this important legislation.  Click here to read about the scientific evidence that unborn children experience pain by 20 weeks.