With the support of a vast majority of House Republicans, and due to the pro-life dedication of the House Republican leadership, the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed landmark legislation, 242-184, to extend federal protections to unborn children who have reached 20 weeks fetal age, and those who are born alive during late abortions.

The bill was developed from model legislation constructed in 2010 by the National Right to Life, the nation’s old and largest pro-life grassroots organization. The same law has been enacted thus far in 11 states.

"This bill would save thousands of unborn babies annually from terribly painful deaths," said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. "It is now clear that the overwhelming majority of House Democrats believe that painfully dismembering babies, in the sixth month and later, is just fine - now let them try to explain that to their constituents."

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act has been the right-to-life movement's top congressional priority for the 114th Congress. Like the state bills, the proposed federal law would generally extend legal protect to unborn humans beginning at 20 weeks fetal age, based on congressional findings that by that point (and even earlier) the unborn child has the capacity to experience great pain during an abortion.

In a nationwide poll of 1,623 registered voters in November 2014, The Quinnipiac University Poll found that 60 percent would support a law such as the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act prohibiting abortion after 20 weeks, while only 33 percent opposed such legislation. Women voters split 59-35 percent in support of such a law, while independent voters supported it by 56-36 percent.

But these overwhelming numbers haven't stopped the pro-abortion industry from politicizing the issue while continuing to pretend that they know what kind of “reproductive health care” women really want.

“Today’s vote on H.R.36 is an affront to the 7 in 10 Americans who support access to legal abortion, was an attack on women’s health, and a waste of time and taxpayer money,” reads a statement from NARAL Pro-Choice America.

"Once again, the Republican-led House chose to pander to their far-right wing base instead of focusing on the issues they were sent to Washington to address. Stunts like today are why Congress’ approval ratings are in the teens. Maybe the House should just go back to naming post offices and going on recess.”

Prolife leaders are pleased and relieved that the bill has finally begun to move through Congress.

“It's been four months of intense negotiations in working through concerns raised about this measure in January, but today the Republican leadership kept their promise to pro-life Americans," said Family Research Council president Tony Perkins. "Science has proven that these precious unborn children are able to feel pain at 20 weeks after fertilization, and even earlier. Their humanity demands they be treated with basic decency, and today's vote signals that the People's House agrees.”

Perkins calls passage of the bill "another step in the right direction” but reminds us all that there is still much left to be done.

“Until every child is welcomed in life and protected in law, we must pray and work to end abortion in America."

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