WASHINGTON March 6, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com)—In response to President Bush’s appeal to ban an “abhorrent procedure that offends human dignity,” the U.S. Senate is slated to begin debate on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act the week of March 10. The legislation (S. 3), sponsored by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), would ban an abortion method in which a living baby is mostly delivered alive before being killed. The bill has been a major pro-life priority since 1995. It was twice vetoed by President Clinton. The partial-birth abortion method is used thousands of times annually, usually in the fifth and sixth months and sometimes later—in the vast majority of cases on healthy babies of healthy mothers.
A January Gallup poll found that 70% of the public favors the ban. Nevertheless, the bill still faces fierce resistance from lawmakers closely allied with the abortion lobby. It is not yet known whether pro-abortion senators will attempt to impede the bill with a filibuster. Close votes are expected on crippling amendments, including an alternative measure that pro-life groups refer to as “the phony ban.”
In January 22 remarks to the March for Life, President Bush said, “My hope is that the United States Congress will pass a bill this year banning partial-birth abortion, which I will sign. Partial-birth abortion is an abhorrent procedure that offends human dignity.” The President also called for action on the bill in his January 28 State of the Union address.
For more information on partial birth abortion and the legislation see the National Right to Life website at: https://www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/index.html