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Democratic concerns erupted Tuesday over abortion language embedded in a Senate bill to curb human trafficking that had previously appeared poised to glide to passage. Less than two months after House GOP leaders pulled a contentious bill barring abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy from the House floor, a fresh abortion fight across the Capitol threatened to derail the widely supported bill aimed at cracking down on human trafficking. (Peterson and Radnofsky, 3/10)

Senate Democrats are threatening to pull their support from a bipartisan anti-trafficking bill set for Senate action this week. They are infuriated over an abortion-related provision that Democrats say was slipped in without their knowledge. The legislation passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in late February without opposition, but Democrats are now balking over language in it that would prohibit money in a restitution fund from being spent on abortions. (Everett and Kim, 3/10)

Proving that there is virtually no issue that cannot get mired in partisan combat, an anti-human trafficking bill now under Senate consideration is in limbo after Democrats accused Republicans of sneaking anti-abortion language into the legislation before it hit the Senate floor. (DeBonis, 3/10)