The House on Thursday voted down a bill that would have banned abortions based on the sex of a fetus. Republicans, however, said they achieved a strategic goal of forcing Democrats to vote against it.
The New York Times: House Rejects Bill To Ban Sex-Selective Abortions
The House on Thursday rejected a measure that sought to impose fines and prison terms on doctors who perform abortions on women who are trying to select the gender of their offspring -- a practice known as sex-selective abortion (Steinhauer, 5/31).
The Washington Post: Bill Banning 'Sex-Selection Abortions' Fails In The House
A measure to ban abortions based on the sex of a child failed Thursday after proponents were unable to earn enough support in the House, but GOP abortion opponents said they achieved their strategic goal of forcing Democrats to vote against it (O'Keefe, 5/31).
The Associated Press: House Rejects Sex-Selection Abortion Ban
The House on Thursday fell short in an effort to ban abortions based on the sex of the fetus as Republicans and Democrats made an election-year appeal for women's votes. The legislation would have made it a federal crime to perform or force a woman to undergo a sex-based abortion, a practice most common in some Asian countries where families wanting sons abort female fetuses (Abrams, 5/31).
McClatchy Newspapers: Republican Effort To Ban Abortions Based On Gender Fails In House
House Republicans provoked a fresh confrontation in the ongoing battle over women's health care rights, but failed Thursday to win approval for a bill designed to outlaw abortions based on gender. The bill, aimed at families trying to avoid unwanted daughters, attracted the support of a majority of representatives, but failed because it was considered under a procedure normally used for uncontroversial measures. It needed the votes of two-thirds of the House (Duncan, 5/31).
Reuters: U.S. House Rejects Sex-Selection Abortion Ban
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday rejected Republican legislation banning abortions based on the sex of the fetus in a vote that keeps the election-year spotlight on an emotionally charged issue. The "Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act," would have subjected doctors to a five-year prison term if they performed abortions intended to select gender. Medical and mental health professionals also would have had to report suspected violations to authorities or face a one-year sentence (Lawder, 5/31).
National Journal: House Fails To Pass Sex-Specific Abortion Bill
The House on Thursday failed to pass a bill that would have outlawed abortions performed because of the sex of the fetus, thrilling abortion-rights advocates. House members voted 246-168 to approve the bill, which was short of the two-thirds majority needed under an unusual procedure used to get the vote to the floor. The Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., would have made it it a federal offense to perform, solicit funds to perform, or coerce a woman into a sex-selection abortion (Fox, 5/31).
The Hill: House Rejects Bill Penalizing Doctors For Sex-Selective Abortions
The House on Thursday rejected a Republican bill that would impose fines and prison terms on doctors who perform abortions for the sole purpose of controlling the gender of the child, a practice known as sex-selective abortion. The Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA), H.R. 3541, was defeated in a 246-168 vote. While that's a clear majority of the House, Republicans called up the bill under a suspension of House rules, which limits debate and requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass. In this case, it would have required more support from Democrats (Kasperowicz, 5/31).