Senate passes bill to ban abortion procedure  

BY BRIAN WILLIAMS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a bipartisan attack on a woman's right to choose, Democratic and Republican politicians in the Senate are vying with each other over who can offer up the most restrictive legislation aimed at banning an abortion procedure for the first time since the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973.

The Senate passed legislation May 20 that would ban the procedure medically known as "intact dilation and evacuation," or D&E. Opponents of abortion rights have demagogically dubbed it "partial-birth" abortion.

The measure, sponsored by Republican Senator Rick Santorum, won approval by a 64-36 vote. On the eve of the Senate vote, the American Medical Association endorsed the ban - the first position the AMA has taken on abortion legislation.

The bill is identical to the measure passed by Congress and vetoed last year by President William Clinton and to a bill that passed the House on March 20 by a 295-136 vote. If this law is adopted, doctors performing this operation could be subject to up to $250,000 in fines and two years in prison. The only exception would be to save the life of the woman.

Republican Senator Trent Lott said he expected the Senate to push for another vote to override a presidential veto before the Congress recessed in August. The Clinton administration said he intended to veto the ban again.

In counterposition to this bill, several Democrats in the Senate who describe themselves as supporters of abortion rights put forward bills that would impose even more sweeping bans on a broad category of abortions.

Democratic Senator Tom Daschle proposed legislation that would ban all abortions after the fetus reaches a point of development where it may be viable to live outside the womb. The only exception would be if a woman were threatened with death or "grievous" harm to her physical health.

A second measure, offered by Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California would also ban abortions after the fetus reached "viability," but would allow exceptions to protect the mental, as well as physical heath of the woman. Forty-one states have already imposed restrictions on late-term abortions. These proposed federal laws would apply only to the nine states that have not yet put any constraints on these procedures. Twelve states have banned intact D&E abortions and several others are about to pass similar legislation.

In arguing for passage of his bill, Daschle stated that the "fundamental difference" between Santorum's bill and his own was that "we ban abortion; they ban a procedure." Clinton weighed in on this debate announcing that he was backing both the Daschle and Feinstein bills. On May 15, the Senate voted down the Daschle bill by a 64 to 36 vote. The Feinstein bill went down to defeat in a 72-28 vote. The following day Daschle, who is the Democratic Party leader in the Senate, announced that he was now considering changing his position from last year and voting for the Republican- sponsored bill that bans the D&E procedure.

Daschle, who has been described in the capitalist media as an ardent supporter of abortion rights, won praise for his new position from two leading Republican conservatives - William Bennett, the former Education Secretary; and William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard.

Bennett pointed out that for the first time the abortion rights supporters backing these restrictive bills were using the same language as abortion opponents. Instead of talking about a woman's "right to choose," he said, "Daschle was saying we should protect the life of a viable fetus."

"This is language the pro-life movement uses," continued Bennett. "If I didn't know who sponsored this, I would have thought it was a pro-life Republican."

Kristol pointed out, "As a strategic matter for the pro- life movement, Daschle offers an opportunity to get legislation passed by Congress and signed by the president that for the first time outlaws a certain class of abortions."

Daschle responded, "I'd be more than happy to talk with anybody who wants to work with us in taking this approach." He, said that Bennett and Kristol "could be very catalytic, very helpful."

Brian Williams is a member of United Steelworkers Local 2609.  
 
 
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