A bill banning late-term abortions in Washington, D.C. failed to garner enough support Tuesday.

House lawmakers voted 220 to 154 to pass the bill, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass the measure under the suspension of normal rules. A bill banning “sex-selection” abortions failed by a similar margin with similar rules in May.

The bill, authored by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), would have prohibited abortions in the District except to protect the life of the mother after 20 weeks of pregnancy, under the theory that fetuses are capable of experiencing pain beyond that point.

Source: WashingtonPost.com