The U.S. House of Representatives passed pro-life bill HR36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The bill bans abortion after 20 weeks. It is undeniable that unborn babies feel pain at this stage of life. Therefore, this bill simply protects babies from a gruesome and cruel act of barbarism.Send your senators an email now urging them to nuke the filibuster and switch to a majority vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
Send your senators an email now urging them to nuke the filibuster and switch to a majority vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
The House vote is great news, and I am proud that supporters of AFA weighed in on this critical moral issue.
However, the bill is almost certain to die in the U.S. Senate because most Republicans favor the filibuster rule that requires 60 votes to advance legislation for consideration and to end debate on legislation. Under the filibuster rule, Democrats are able to stop most measures from ever being voted on even though they are in the minority.
Although the filibuster rule is not in the Constitution, Democrats routinely use it block GOP sponsored legislation. No doubt, the Republican leadership in the Senate will blame the Democrats for blocking the measure. While that is technically true, what the GOP leadership refuses to admit is that they have the votes to set aside the 60-vote rule in favor of a simple majority vote.
But here's how the political "swamp" works: Republican representatives get credit for voting in favor of pro-life legislation. Meanwhile, Republican senators blame their Democratic colleagues when the legislation finally fails. On election day, Republican candidates maintain the support of conservative voters without ever making progress to protect unborn babies.
As far as we are aware, AFA is the only conservative group calling Republicans to "nuke" the 60-vote filibuster rule. Most conservative groups want to keep it, claiming it will be needed when the GOP loses the White House and the Senate. But former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) made it clear that, when Democrats are back in charge, they will nuke the filibuster and push their own agenda.
Republican senators, under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), now have the opportunity to set a new precedent for significant legislation. A super majority of 60 votes should not be required to advance such legislation.
Your U.S. senators need to schedule a vote on this pro-life bill soon. Send them an email now urging them to nuke the filibuster and switch to a majority vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
