House Republicans have the opportunity to save the lives of children and put the Democrats on defense all in one turn. They are set to consider legislation that would prohibit abortions in the United States after 20 weeks, which is the point a child in the womb can feel pain.

In light of the Kermit Gosnell horror story, you would expect a majority of Americans would support this legislation. They do. The GOP put in exceptions for rape and incest so the left cannot demonize them as being at war with women. As Trent Franks of Arizona noted, the instances of abortions due to rape is not high, nor are the instances of abortion due to incest. While they happen, they are not most common.

In other words, the House Republicans are set to restrict abortions in America in a way that the overwhelming majority of both men and women in the United States support. This will result in lives saved. It will put the Democrats on the defense on abortion in a way they haven’t been since the partial birth abortion ban.

Sadly, like Lt. Colonel Nicholson unwilling to blow up the damn bridge over the River Kwai, some pro-life groups are unable to bring themselves to actually save children from having their brains sucked out or injected with saline or all the other gruesome ways they are slaughtered. These pro-life groups have decided it is better that all children to be aborted keep getting aborted rather than spare the majority unless the law gets rid of the exception for rape and incest.

This is having ramifications for the legislation.

Multiple sources tell me that pro-life activists in Georgia are encouraging Georgia Republicans to vote against the legislation and withdraw their support of it unless the rape/incest exception goes away. Congressman Paul Broun has removed himself as a sponsor already and I hear other members of the Georgia delegation thinking of running for the United States Senate are considering a no vote to placate pro-life activists in Georgia.

Imagine how the world would have been different if Harriet Tubman, Oskar Schindler, or Raoul Wallenberg had been Georgia pro-life activists. “Sorry, couldn’t save ’em all, so I let ’em all die!”

This decision by Georgia pro-life activists is unfortunate. I’m told by a representatives from a couple of national pro-life groups and from a member of Congress that Georgia Right to Life is opposed to, not just ambivalent on, the legislation and has been pressuring members of the Georgia delegation to withdraw their sponsorship. I have not, however, confirmed this with Georgia Right to Life, though do note that both national groups and at least one congressman are under that impression.

The legislation will save lives if passed. The all or nothing approach will continue to lead to nothing. While I am sympathetic with pro-lifers who say if they start making exceptions soon they’ll have nothing, they should recognize that right now they have nothing and this is a meaningful step in their direction. It is incrementalism that advances goals without sacrificing the principle.

Any pro-life congressman who takes the position that all abortions should continue unless no abortions continue is not worth my time or support. Better we work toward saving lives than let this slaughter continue unabated.

Many pro-lifers have turned cynical and say the GOP is not really committed to ending abortion. They say the GOP is just using pro-life support to get elected, but that once elected the GOP prefers that pro-lifers are seen and not heard. Turns out it is the pro-life activist groups. They want the issue so bad as their reason for being, when given the chance to reduce the number of abortions in America they’d prefer to keep the killing going so they can keep the issue alive.

Go here right now and put in your zip code. RedState’s action center will connect you to your member of congress. Tell your member of congress to support HR 1797, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Call now.