美国民主党参议员阻止通过了一项将禁止妊娠超过20个星期的孕妇堕胎的议案。女性在怀孕超过20周后因而仍然可以合法堕胎。
参议院的共和党领导人事先就清楚通过议案的希望渺茫，但是希望能向民主党人施压，让他们在堕胎问题上明确表态，特别是那些面临选举而在支持川普当选总统的选区无明显优势的民主党参议员。
参议员基本根据所属政党投票，只有两名共和党参议员投了反对票。此外，3名民主党参议员投了赞成票，这3名参议员都来自2016年总统大选把票投给川普的州。
参议院中一半民主党和无党派参议员今年都面临连任选举，其中10名参议员来自川普在2016年总统大选中获胜的州。
U.S. Democratic senators have blocked a bill that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks, ensuring that the procedure stays legal through the later terms of a woman’s pregnancy.
Republican leaders in the Senate knew the bill had little chance to pass, but wanted to pressure Democrats to take a stance on abortion, particularly vulnerable Democrats facing re-election and from states that voted for President Donald Trump.
The vote largely fell along party lines, with only two Republicans voting against. Three Democrats voted for the measure. All three are from states that voted for Trump in the 2016 election.
More than half of the Senate’s Democrats and independents are up for re-election this year, and 10 of them are in states Trump won.