That Republicans in a GOP-controlled Congress could not pass a pro-life bill that the House passed in 2013 is, for my money, the most surprising development of the last month. It surprised a lot of Republican lawmakers, too.
House Judiciary Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte (R., Va.) brought reams of polling data to a meeting with Representative Ann Wagner (R., Mo.) and some of the other lawmakers worried about the bill. From the home page:
As the conversation continued, tensions rose. At one point, Wagner suggested to Goodlatte that if he didn’t listen to their concerns, he was “going to catch it.”
“I’m catching it right now,” he replied. The group laughed and the mood lightened, but the disagreement persisted. Blackburn argued that Republicans didn’t have the votes to pass the bill without changes, but not all Republicans agreed. Pro-life groups were still insisting that Republicans should keep the reporting requirements, angering some of the provisions’ opponents. “Right to Life was getting pulverized in that meeting,” says a source in the room.
You can read the full piece here.