Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-written bill on Wednesday that could subject some doctors who perform abortions to criminal penalties, thwarting the G.O.P.’s first attempt to restrict reproductive rights since the party has secured its governing trifecta.
With Democrats unanimously opposed, the measure stalled in the Senate on a party-line vote of 52 to 47, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and advance toward a final vote.
Its consideration, scheduled to coincide with the 52nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade and on the same week as the annual March For Life in Washington, was part of a continuing Republican effort to appeal to its conservative, anti-abortion-rights base.
The bill would require that infants born alive after an attempted abortion receive the same protection under the law and degree of care as any newborn baby, and threaten medical providers with up to five years in prison for failing to resuscitate babies born alive during abortions.
Senate Democrats Block G.O.P. Effort to Criminalize Some Abortion Providers
