Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Thursday will introduce the Senate version of a bill that bans abortions after 20 weeks and passed the House on Tuesday.
The bill, which the South Carolina Republican has introduced in previous years, is not expected to advance in the Senate because it would need 60 votes to stop a filibuster.
The bill passed the House by a 237-189 margin. The House also passed similar legislation in 2015.
The House bill, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, would penalize medical providers who perform abortions after 20 weeks of gestation with up to five years in prison or fines, or both. The bill contains limited exceptions, including when a woman’s pregnancy puts her life at risk and in cases of rape or incest.
The legislation, which passed 237-189, has support from President Trump, who said in a statement of administration policy Monday that if it were to reach his desk his team would recommend he sign it into law.
Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., the bill’s main sponsor, recently told the Washington Examiner that the Senate should consider ditching the legislative filibuster to get anti-abortion legislation through.
He pointed to the Senate’s decision to end the filibuster on Supreme Court nominees, which enabled the confirmation of conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch this year.
A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Graham’s bill hasn’t been scheduled.
