Politics

The Two Republicans Who Voted Against The 20-Week Abortion Ban

REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

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Two Republican senators helped kill a 20-week abortion ban in the Senate on Monday evening.

The Senate voted 51-46 in favor of the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which was short of the 60 votes required to proceed to a final vote under current Senate rules.

Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine both voted against the bill, which would have prohibited abortions on unborn babies after 20 weeks, the age at which they can feel pain, with exceptions in cases rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain was absent as he battles brain cancer in his home state.

Three Democratic Sens. voted in favor of the bill: Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

Pro-life advocacy group Susan B. Anthony List immediately announced the organization would target four Democratic senators from Trump states who opposed the ban and are up for re-election in 2020: Sherrod Brown from Ohio, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp and Montana’s Jon Tester.

Polling has found that 60 percent of Americans support a 20-week abortion ban.