FOF Looks Forward to Final Victory Ending Partial-birth Abortion

Focus on the Family
Thursday, 13 March 2003

Senate Votes Today to Outlaw Barbaric Practice

Dr. James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family, celebrated the Senate's 64 to 33 vote today to ban the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass. President Bush has already promised to sign the bill into law when it comes to his desk. The vote is the third attempt to get the bill signed into law. Over the past seven years, the Senate and House passed two previous bans, only to have them vetoed by President Clinton.

"Today is a victory for our nation and for the most vulnerable members of the human family — babies who are literally a heartbeat away from being born," said Dobson. "Any society that condones infanticide cannot call itself civilized. Partial-birth abortion not only represents an assault on voiceless and powerless babies, but it dulls our senses as a nation. Clearly, Americans know this and stand behind the Senate's actions."

A Gallup poll in January showed 70 percent of the public favors outlawing partial-birth abortion.

The Senate also rejected several attempts to derail the partial-birth abortion ban, including a counterfeit ban, sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that claimed to prohibit all abortions after viability. Feinstein's phony ban included an exception for the mother's "health"— a phrase that can be broadly interpreted to include factors ranging from a woman's age to her mental state. In addition, numerous medical experts have testified that partial-birth abortion is never necessary to preserve a woman's health.

Dobson noted his disappointment regarding the Senate's approval of an amendment, sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), that affirmed Roe v. Wade giving cover to pro-abortion members of the Senate who voted for the ban, but support abortion on demand.

Dobson concluded, "We applaud the Senate's tenacity and commitment to ban this horrific practice at last. We honor the efforts of Senators Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and so many other defenders of the preborn who have worked tirelessly to ensure a true end to this savage practice."

For more information, or to contact Focus on the Family, see their website at: www.family.org