Anti-Abortion Activists Rise Up Against House Republicans' 'Pain-Capable' Fumble
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, speaks to reporters in the U.S. Capitol Building basement before voting in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg"I'm ready to get arrested," said Jill Stanek on Thursday. "I've never felt that way before, but this is personal."
Stanek, an anti-abortion activist and speaker who gained prominence during the 2008 presidential campaign, had come to Washington for the annual March for Life. As far as she and other marchers knew, the event would be marked by the House passage of the "pain-capable" abortion bill, introduced by Arizona Representative Trent Franks, and rebranded as the party put forward pro-life women to make its case. The bill polled well—nearly two-thirds of Americans agreed with the idea of banning abortion after 20 weeks—but Republicans were sensitive about any abortion bill that defined "rape" when creating exceptions for cases of rape and incest.