Sen. Lee Introduces Bill To Restrict Abortion in Washington, D.C.
February 15, 2012 — Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Monday introduced legislation that would prohibit abortion after 20 weeks of gestation in Washington, D.C., the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
The bill is similar to a measure (HR 3803) introduced in the House (Canham, Salt Lake Tribune, 2/14). The House version, introduced by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) in January, is based on model legislation from the National Right to Life Committee, which claims that fetuses can feel pain around 20 weeks. State legislatures in Alabama, Idaho, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas have approved similar legislation (Women's Health Policy Report, 1/24).
House Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) criticized Lee's bill and said he is pursuing it as a test case for a nationwide campaign to increase abortion restrictions. She added, "Sen. Lee is trying to undemocratically usurp local authority outside his own state in violation of every founding principle of local control." Norton said she would encourage abortion-rights groups to fight the House and Senate bills (Salt Lake Tribune, 2/14).
The information contained in this publication reflects media coverage of women’s health issues and does not necessarily reflect the views of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
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The Editors
Debra Ness, publisher & president, National Partnership
Andrea Friedman, associate editor & director of reproductive health programs, National Partnership
Marya Torrez, associate editor & senior reproductive health policy counsel, National Partnership
Melissa Safford, associate editor & policy advocate for reproductive health, National Partnership
Perry Sacks, assistant editor & health program associate, National Partnership
Cindy Romero, assistant editor & communications assistant, National Partnership
Justyn Ware, editor
Amanda Wolfe, editor-in-chief
Heather Drost, Hanna Jaquith, Marcelle Maginnis, Ashley Marchand and Michelle Stuckey, staff writers
Tucker Ball, director of new media, National Partnership
