House Republicans wasted no time on Tuesday in renewing their effort to pass an abortion ban that would restrict women from terminating a pregnancy after the first 20 weeks.

On the first day of the new GOP-controlled Congress, Republican Reps. Trent Franks and Rep. Marsha Blackburn reintroduced legislation that would ban abortions after 20 weeks based on the medically-disputed notion that fetuses are sentient at that point and can feel pain, reports MSNBC.

In 2013, then-Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid refused to bring the "Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" to a vote after it passed in the Republican-controlled House. In addition, President Obama has already announced that he would veto the bill if it passes both branches of Congress this time around.

Nevertheless, Rep. Franks seized the opportunity to renew arguments to pass the bill into law.

"More than 18,000 'very late term' abortions are performed every year on perfectly healthy unborn babies in America," said the Arizona rep on Tuesday, reports The Hill.

"These are innocent and defenseless children who can not only feel pain, but who can survive outside of the womb in most cases, and who are torturously killed without even basic anesthesia," he added.

Contrary to Franks' statement that fetuses can survive outside of the womb at 20 weeks, Think Progress reports that medical experts believe that fetuses can only survive outside the womb around 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. Plus, records show that no delivered baby less than 21 weeks has ever survived.

Nevertheless, anti-abortion activists applauded Franks' effort to pass the bill.

"As the 114th Congress is sworn in today, we are encouraged to see our pro-life allies wasting no time in the fight to protect the lives of the most vulnerable," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in a statement. "It is time to move the United States off the list of only seven countries to allow abortion on demand beyond [20 weeks]."

On the other hand, NARAL Pro-Choice America called the measures a "dangerous restriction" that violates women's constitutional rights.

"NARAL Pro-Choice America does not oppose post-viability bans that include appropriate exceptions for cases in which a woman's life or health are at risk. However, these 20-week bans ignore the question of viability, lack the needed exceptions, and instead are meant as a direct challenge to the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade."

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