The war on women's rights continue at a full gallop

The Secret Strategy Behind 20-Week Abortion Bans (Click here to read more)

By Tara Culp-Ressler
March 14, 2014 at 11:49 am
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Abortion opponents are confident that they've found a winning strategy in 20-week bans. In January, at the Republican National Committee's annual meeting, the group approved a new "pro-life resolution" encouraging GOP candidates to speak out against abortion rights. That resolution cited 20-week bans as one restriction that's politically advantageous for Republicans, since it tends to poll better with the American public.
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By some measures, they're right. This policy - often construed as a "fetal pain ban," since it's based on the scientifically inaccurate claim that fetuses can feel pain after 20 weeks of pregnancy - is picking up steam on a legislative level. Ten states already have 20-week bans on the books, and several lawmakers introduced new fetal pain bills at the beginning of this year. This past weekend, West Virginia became the first Democratic-controlled state to pass a 20-week ban, and it's not yet clear whether the state's Democratic governor is going to block it. Abortion opponents are now able to claim that this is an issue with bipartisan support.
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But don't be fooled. The political momentum for 20-week bans isn't actually about compromising, or about adhering to a specific deadline that will prevent fetuses from feeling pain. It's really about finding an initial foothold to chip away at Roe v. Wade, and then continuing to move the goal posts. It's the first step in a larger strategy to cut off legal abortion access altogether, cloaked under the guise of a "moderate" policy.