House Bill Brought Back on Pain Unborn Children Feel During Abortions
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 5, 2007

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- One of the top pro-life members of Congress has reintroduced a bill in the House that tells women of the pain an unborn child feels during an abortion. The bill also requires abortion practitioners to offer mothers a chance to provide the baby pain control before birth in an effort to encourage her to not have the abortion.

Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who co-chairs the pro-life caucus in Congress, is the key sponsor behind the modest bill.

Smith told LifeNews.com the goal of the bill is to expand and strengthen informed consent requirements abortion practitioners must follow and to persuade mothers that abortion isn't in the best interest of the baby.

"Expert testimony and scientific studies have shown that unborn children have the ability to feel pain from 20 weeks of gestation," Smith explained. "As of now, there are no federal guidelines that require the provider to share this information with a woman seeking an abortion. This legislation would fill that void." the rest