Story highlights Needing 60 votes to advance, the bill failed 54 to 42

The vote coincided with the arrival this week of the head of the Catholic Church, an entity that is a leading force against abortions

Washington (CNN) Two days before Pope Francis delivers an historic speech to Congress, Senate Republican leaders Tuesday pressed for passage of a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy but were blocked by Democrats, who strongly oppose the measure.

Needing 60 votes to advance, the bill failed 54 to 42.

The vote coincided with the arrival this week of the head of the Catholic Church, an entity that is a leading force against abortions. It also came amidst a broader debate on Capitol Hill about whether to strip federal funding for Planned Parenthood, something Republicans are anxious to do and Democrats are against.

The failed motion on the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is seen as a signal to conservative Republicans that their abortion-related effort to strip funding for Planned Parenthood can't pass and therefore shouldn't be attached to a government funding measure because it could lead to a shutdown.

The government runs out of money in eight days and GOP leaders in the House and Senate are working to find a way to pass a short-term bill to keep the government operating, but it's unclear if enough Republicans in the House will back it unless it excludes the money for Planned Parenthood.

Read More