President Donald Trump signaled his disappointment that the Senate failed to advance a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks.
“The vote by the Senate rejects scientific fact and puts the United States out of the mainstream in the family of nations, in which only seven out of 198 nations, including China and North Korea, allow elective abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy,” Trump said in a statement.
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act failed to advance with a vote of 51-46 — short of the 60 vote majority threshold needed to move the legislation forward.
“We must defend those who cannot defend themselves,” Trump said. “I urge the Senate to reconsider its decision and pass legislation that will celebrate, cherish, and protect life.”
Three Democratic Senators broke with their party to vote for the bill — Bob Casey (D-PA), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), and Joe Manchin (D-WV). Republican senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) opposed the bill.
The president pressed the Senate to vote on the bill during his speech to the March for Life on January 19.
“Under my administration, we will always defend the very first right in the Declaration of Independence, and that is the right to life,” he said.