If Republicans can’t pass the popular 20-week abortion ban, are they still a pro-life party?

Last year, for the first time in recent memory, Republicans and pro-life organizations seemed to have a unified agenda—pass a 20-week abortion ban. Science now tells us that at this stage of development a child is viable and capable of feeling pain. The child is alive. This resonates with a broad and bipartisan majority of Americans, who want something done to protect these children.

Meetings on Capitol Hill last October with GOP House members seemed to set the stage, and the Republican takeover of Congress in November seemed to assure the bill’s passage. A 20-week abortion ban bill was introduced at the beginning of the new Congress, including many new co-sponsors. This would be the pro-life movement’s chance for a real victory that could save lives.

{mosads}Besides, how hard could it be anyway?

But just two weeks later—on the eve of the March for Life— the GOP leadership pulled the bill.

Why?

Consider what a slam dunk this was politically. A recent Quinnipiac Poll showed 60 percent of Americans, including 59 percent of women, support a five-month abortion ban. This also included almost half of all Democrats and 56 percent of independents.

The American people are way ahead of Washington on this issue.

For those who believe we did not have and needed science proof of the existence of the child, it’s now right in front of us.

When the Supreme Court took away the right to life over four decades ago, the pro-aborts could defend their position. Not anymore. With the benefits of the technology today, we know so much more now.

We now know that at 42 days, the baby has a complete skeleton and a nervous system, including reflexes. At 43 days, electrical brain wave patterns can be detected or what some might call “thinking.” At 49 days, the fetus looks like an actual baby, though very small, but with distinct limbs like toes and ears. At 56 days, the baby has fully intact functioning organs like the stomach and kidneys.

By the 20-week mark, we see a developing human being that is about 10 inches long, roughly the size of a football.  The child has hair on his (or her) head, working vocal chords. They can grasp things with their hands, suck their own thumbs and kick their mother’s stomach.

An unborn child this age that can do these sorts of things is certainly something any rationale and humane person would consider “viable.”

Popular technology also reflects the latest science. Go to many of the “due date” websites online or “3D baby apps” that pregnant women and their families might use to track the development of their child. Tell me that isn’t a child, a functional, living, breathing, pain-feeling human being. Tell me that it’s just a ball of matter we should be free to dispose.

How many decades has it been now that proud parents—despite their politics or views on the issue of abortion—have come home from the hospital to post sonograms of their “little Johnny” on the refrigerator or to email their friends? For so many years now, technology has allowed us to know more about our unborn children, and even to get to know them, in a sense, than earlier generations could have ever dreamed of.

Now we know scientifically that the child is viable at 20 weeks. Isn’t it time the law catch up with technology and science?

A ban on these types of late terms abortions is long overdue. Given what we know now, there is absolutely no reason for it not to happen. Politically, a majority of Americans want it. Morally, there is no other choice. It’s the only option. That innocent life must be spared.

It is necessary for the health of our national soul.

It should be an easy decision. It’s hard to recall a more slam-dunk piece of pro-life legislation in recent history. If Republicans can’t pass something as popular as the 20-week abortion ban, can we count on them to ever pass anything that protects the unborn? Will we ever see anything of substance from this party?

If they can’t pass this bill, is the GOP really even a pro-life party anymore?

For the entire history of our movement, pro-lifers have been lectured that in order to change the laws we must first change the culture.

The culture has changed. Your move, Republicans.

Bozell is chairman of ForAmerica, the nation’s largest active online conservative network with over 7.1 million supporters.