Attacks on abortion rights have been consistently pushed by capitalist politicians from both major parties. The most serious inroads against a woman's right to choose abortion have been made by local, state, and federal officials, who have cut access by women to medical funds for abortions, subjected young women to getting someone else's consent, and forced "counseling" and waiting periods.

These measures are the greatest aid to the campaigns to limit the number of facilities and of doctors who will perform abortions, cutting off women, especially working- class women in rural areas, from access to exercise their choice.

This has always been a bipartisan effort, beginning with the passage of the Hyde Amendment in 1976 restricting the use of federal funds for abortions, which both the Democrats and Republicans have helped to maintain as law.

The current attempt is a probe by the rulers to see if they can get away with undermining the constitutional right codified in the Roe V. Wade decision of 1973. This is of a piece with the moves against affirmative action, against funding for Medicare and social security, and stepped up attacks on immigrants, and on the standard of living of the whole working class. The capitalist class is moving steadily to the right in its attempt to make workers bare the brunt of the economic decline of their system, and their servants in government follow suit.

These moves provide breathing space to the rightist thugs who blockaded clinics and orchestrated a terror campaign against women in the last few years. The rightists were effectively pushed back, however, when women and men took to the streets in large numbers to defend abortion rights clinic by clinic and demand action be taken to stop the attacks. Now, when the thugs are in retreat and the pro- choice mobilizations are sparse, Congress steps forward to breathe new life into the battle against women's rights.

The answer of those who parade as "friends of women's rights" in Congress has been to parrot Clinton's response that the legislation doesn't take into account allowing the procedure to protect the woman's health. Passage of such a law, whether or not it included such a provision, would constitute a blow to the battle to keep abortion safe and legal.

Clearly, a forthright defense of the right of women to control their body and make all decisions about it, including a late-term abortion, will not be found in the halls of Congress.

It is important to explain this new move for what it clearly is - a step in the direction of overriding the legality of abortion. It is far from settled that the proposed bill will become law. Now is the time to mobilize supporters of women's right in public actions, speak outs, teach-ins, and forums to rally others in defense of this fundamental right.

While capitalist politicians can't be counted on, the recent past has shown that there are tens of thousands of ordinary working people and youth who can be and should be relied on as supporters of abortion rights take up the challenge to beat back this attack.  
 
 
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