Updated

Pro-life groups expressed their displeasure with Senate Democrats Tuesday after an anti-human trafficking bill was blocked on the Senate floor over language that prevents funding in the measure from going toward abortions.

“In a stunning display of protecting abortion at all costs, the U.S. Senate failed to defend victims—women and little girls—of sex trafficking,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America. “The abortion lobby and their allies in the Senate should be ashamed of themselves.”

“How dare they call themselves ‘pro-woman’ when they epically failed to help sex trafficking victims because they would rather force taxpayers to fund abortion.”

Susan B. Anthony List (SBA) president Marjorie Dannenfelser accused Democrats of playing politics with the bill. “Democrats once again are putting abortion ideology first,” she said.

The Justice for Victims in Trafficking Act, which needed 60 votes to proceed, was blocked on Tuesday in a 55-43 vote. A provision in the bill that prevented money from a fund intended to help trafficking victims from being used for abortions angered Democrats.

“The partisan provision embedded in the Senate version of this bill is not something the survivors of human trafficking are asking for,” Senator Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.) told US News & World Report.

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