Senate to vote on PBA Ban again

3-13-03

Vote Results on Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, including mischievous Democrat amendments

PBA FINAL PASSAGE: On March 13, the Senate approved the bill 64 to 33. (Senate Roll Call Vote 51)

FAILED: Murray Amendment to promote the morning-after pill and require insurance companies to cover contraception. The Senate voted 49 to 47 on the motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act requirements regarding the Murrary Amendment, which would have spent federal funds. The motion failed because 60 votes are required. (Senate Roll Call Vote 45)

FAILED: Durbin Amendment to permit partial-birth abortions even after viability if "risk [of] grievous injury to [a woman's] physical health." The Senate voted 60 to 38 to motion to table (kill) the Durbin Amendment. (Senate Roll Call Vote 46)

FAILED: Boxer Motion to Recommit S. 3 to the Judiciary Committee with instructions to add a health exception. The Senate rejected the motion 42 to 56. (Senate Roll Call Vote 47)

PASSED: Harkin Amendment adding a sense of the Congress resolution to S. 3 reaffirming Roe v. Wade. The Senate adopted the amendment 52 to 46. (Senate Roll Call Vote 48)

FAILED: Feinstein Amendment to ban abortions after viability unless necessary to preserve the life or health of a woman. The Senate rejected the amendment 35 to 60. (Senate Roll Call Vote 49)

March 6, 2003

Senate to vote on PBA Ban again
It's on the path to enactment!

Call your Senators!

You've Done it Before -- Do it Again

On March 10, the Senate is expected to debate the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 (S. 3), sponsored by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA). The bill prohibits partial-birth abortion (PBA), the gruesome and inhumane procedure that begins as a breech delivery of an unborn child and ends in infanticide.

Congress has debated and voted on PBA many times since 1995. President Clinton twice vetoed the ban, first in 1996 and then again in 1998, and each time the Senate narrowly fell short of the two-thirds requirement to override the vetoes. We finally have a President who will sign the bill, but Congress must vote again to put it on Bush's desk.

Defeat Democrat Pro-Abortion Amendments

Phony Health Exception: As in previous years, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) is expected to offer a substitute amendment to include a "health" exception to the ban. Partial-birth abortions are never necessary to save the mother's health. In fact, the opposite is true because this procedure can cause much damage to women's health and is a tremendously painful death for the child. Thus, Congress has a firm foundation on which to defeat this phony health amendment and pass a real ban. The vote on the Durbin amendment is the real test of whether Senators truly want to ban partial birth abortions.

Reaffirmation of Roe v. Wade: Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) is expected to offer an amendment to attach a sense of the Congress resolution reaffirming that Roe v. Wade "secures an important constitutional right, and should not be overturned." In 1999, this amendment was offered and our effort to table (defeat) it failed 48 to 51. The vote will be close again!

Action Items

Call your Senators TODAY!

Urge them to vote for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003.
Tell them to reject ALL amendments weakening the bill, specifically the Durbin phony "health exception" and the Harkin sense of Congress resolution reaffirming Roe v. Wade.

Every Senator should be called, but special attention should be given to:
Those elected after 1999: Alexander, Allen, Carper, Coleman, Cornyn, Corzine, Dayton, Dole, Miller, Lisa Murkowski, Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, Pryor, Stabenow
Others: Breaux, Hollings, Specter

Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121




Google Ads are provided by Google and are not selected or endorsed by Eagle Forum

Eagle Forum • PO Box 618 • Alton, IL 62002 • phone: 618-462-5415 • fax: 618-462-8909 • eagle@eagleforum.org