Instead of voting on an anti-abortion bill that would prohibit women from terminating a pregnancy after the first 20 weeks, House Republicans decided to pass less restrictive legislation that seeks to stop taxpayer funding for abortions.

On Thursday, Republicans decided not to pass the "Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," a controversial bill that bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the medically-disputed notion that fetuses are sentient at that point and can feel pain, CNN reports. According to multiple GOP sources, House Republicans faced mounting opposition from their own members over language in the bill that required rape victims to obtain a police report in order to be exempt from restrictions on abortion.

"Some concerns were raised by men and women members that still need to be worked out," a senior House GOP aide told CNN .

As a result, the GOP opted to go back to the drawing board and "continue working through the process on pain capable to make sure it too is successful," the aide added.

A senior GOP aide aso told NBC that they were "not quite ready" to go forward with the Pain-Capable Abortion bill due to internal push back.

"Our conference needs a little more time," the aide said, adding that they intend to reintroduce the bill later this year.

However, Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern said the "bill led to a meltdown" during a closed door Republican conference.

Insiders say several House GOP women argued that the vote could threaten the party's outreach efforts to women and young voters. Other GOP sources say that the meeting became emotional and contentious, and congressional aides were eventually kicked out.

"No funds authorized or appropriated by Federal law, and none of the funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by Federal law, shall be expended for any abortion," the anti-abortion legislation that passed on Thursday states.

However, abortions related to rape, incest, or preserving the life of the mother would be excused from the funding limitation according to the bill.

The partisan bill passed with a 242-179 vote along party lines, except for one Republican who voted "no" and three Democrats who supported it.

President Barack Obama has promised to veto the bill.

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