WASHINGTON, November 15, 2002 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Republican congressmen have saved a safety-valve for pro-life protesters who are frequently targeted by liberal courts with large-scale court-imposed fines. Typically, pro-lifers are forced to declare bankruptcy in order to avoid prohibitive penalties for exercising their right of free speech outside abortuaries. A bill working its way through the House and Senate was supposed to be about bankruptcy generally—but Senate Democrats deliberately inserted language to ban pro-lifers from using bankruptcy to avoid paying ludicrous fines. “[The bill was] condemning peaceful innocent people who have a conscience to protest just to try to save the life of an unborn to a life of financial ruin,” said Rep. Joseph Pitts, Pennsylvania Republican. CNN reports that the bill easily passed today, 244-116, with the abortion language removed. However, Democrats claimed it was a charade, says CNN, “because the Senate would never accept the bill without the abortion provisions.” For related LifeSite coverage see: PRO-LIFE GROUP FACES BANKRUPTCY AFTER COURT ORDER http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2002/oct/02101005.html CNN report: http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/11/15/congress.roundup.ap/index.html