House Republicans, led by Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., plan to propose a bill that will ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Recent court decisions have struck down similar laws that have been passed on a state level but despite that setback Franks and 10 other GOP lawmakers said there was a "good chance" a bill would be presented before the House, according to the Associated Press.
At a press conference surrounded by other anti-abortion advocates, Franks compared abortion to slavery and the Holocaust while suggesting that it is time people change their mind about abortion.
"What changed people's mind over slavery? What changed their minds over the tragedy in Eastern Europe, the horror in Eastern Europe?" Franks said. "Those minds did change, and I would suggest that it's because they finally came face to face with the humanity of the victim and the inhumanity of what is being done to them."
Franks believes his bill, which he introduced previously, would gain momentum because of the outrage over the case involving Dr. Kermit Gosnell, according to the AP. Gosnell, an abortion provider from Philadelphia, was convicted of murdering babies that were born live in his clinic.
Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, issued a statement accusing Franks of "using this bill in a shameless effort to exploit the terrible tragedy in Pennsylvania where Kermit Gosnell was just convicted of murder for performing illegal abortions."
According to The Huffington Post, Franks' bill would violate the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade which allows abortion before a fetus is considered to be able to live outside of the womb, which is normally thought to be at an age of 22 to 24 weeks.
"I don't know what this society and this world have lost because of 55 million little American babies dying in the last 40 years," Franks said at the press conference. "I don't know. But I would suggest to you that if taking the lives of little innocent children when they are crying - if that is not wrong, then we have at last arrived. Nothing is wrong."
Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., also spoke at the press conference in support of the 20-week abortion limit.
"We've got to stop abortion at all levels," Broun said. "If we can't stop it at the level where these babies feel tremendous pain and go through this torture and anguish...what can we stop?"
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, did not comment on the bill when saying that the main focus of the legislature is fostering jobs, according to the Associated Press.
