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In an embarrassing setback, House Republicans abruptly decided Wednesday to drop planned debate of a bill criminalizing virtually all late-term abortions after objections from GOP women and other lawmakers left them short of votes. The decision came on the eve of the annual March for Life, when thousands of abortion rights opponents stream to Washington to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. It also came with GOP leaders eager to show unity and an ability by the new Republican-led Congress to govern efficiently. (1/22)

Republican leadership late Wednesday evening had to completely drop its plans to pass a bill that bans abortions after 20 weeks, and is reverting to old legislation that prohibits taxpayer funding of abortions. The evening switch comes after a revolt from a large swath of female members of Congress, who were concerned about language that said rape victims would not be able to get abortions unless they reported the incident to authorities. (Sherman, 1/21)

House Republican leaders pulled a 20-week abortion ban that had been expected to come up for a vote Thursday after female GOP lawmakers and centrists voiced concerns over its treatment of rape victims, according to House GOP aides. Instead, the House is expected to vote Thursday on a less contentious bill prohibiting federal funding from being used on abortions or health insurance plans that cover abortion. (Peterson, 1/21)

House Republican leaders abruptly dropped plans late Wednesday to vote on an anti-abortion bill amid a revolt by female GOP lawmakers concerned that the legislation's restrictive language would once again spoil the party's chances of broadening its appeal to women and younger voters. In recent days, as many as two dozen Republicans had raised concerns with the "Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" that would ban abortions after the 20th week of a pregnancy. Sponsors said that exceptions would be allowed for a woman who is raped, but she could only get the abortion after reporting the rape to law enforcement. (O'Keefe, 1/21)

House Republicans on Wednesday dropped a bill that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks, ending legislation that at one time seemed certain to pass but fell victim to inter-party disputes over concerns that the law would alienate women voters. (1/21)

This week, as tens of thousands of abortion opponents gather in Washington for Thursday’s March for Life — the world’s largest anti-abortion event — and many related side conferences and meetings, longtime activists say there are more groups seeking to pull into the “pro-life” brand topics ranging from the death penalty to human trafficking. Last weekend, the five dioceses in Southern California held their first “One Life” event, a march and fair timed to this week’s anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and highlighting not only abortion but homelessness, foster care and elderly rights. More than 10,000 people came to the event in Los Angeles. (Boorstein, 1/22)

“The new Congress is introducing anti-women’s health bills at the rate of one per day,” she said. The House is expected to vote on a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy on the day of the Roe v Wade anniversary. But in addition to fighting legislative efforts, abortion rights backers hope to change the public view of abortion, much as gays and lesbians have done of homosexuality in recent years. Having more women talk about their experiences, they say, will help underscore the statistic that an estimated one in every three American women will have an abortion during their reproductive lifetime. (Rovner, 1/21)

Last year, 15 states enacted 26 abortion restrictions, adding to the 205 laws that passed between 2011 and 2013, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which researches reproductive health issues. In St. Paul Thursday, thousands of abortion opponents will return to the Capitol for their annual call for similar restrictions in Minnesota, if not an outright ban. (Brooks, 1/21)