By NRLC Federal Legislative Office
WASHINGTON A $520 billion omnibus appropriations bill (or "omnibill"), approved at the end of the congressional session in late October, contained several new pro-life provisions.
"Thanks to strong support from Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, Senate Majority Whip Don Nickles, and the House Republican leadership, the pro-life movement made some gains, despite President Clinton's willingness to sacrifice nearly any other interest in order to please the pro-abortion lobby," said NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson.
The omnibill contained a newly revised Hyde Amendment that now explicitly applies to the Medicare and Medicare+Choice programs, which cover many women and girls of childbearing age. The revised Hyde Amendment prohibits these programs from paying for abortion, except to save the life of the mother or in cases or rape or incest. The bill also contained new language, championed by Sen. Don Nickles (R-Ok.) and Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tx.), to ensure that hospitals and other provider service organizations that choose not to pay for any abortions, or abortion referrals, are still allowed to participate in Medicare+Choice.
The foreign aid section of the bill contained two additional new pro-life provisions. One, pushed by Congressman Chris Smith (R- NJ) and others, prohibits further U.S. funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Pro-life forces have long sought such a cutoff because of that agency's active participation in China's population-control program, which relies heavily upon involuntary abortion.
The second provision, sponsored by Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-Ks.), strengthens barriers to funding of coercive population-control programs.
The 1997-98 congressional session ended with several other major pro-life priorities blocked by President Clinton's veto or veto threats, backed up by a minority of senators. For example, Clinton's veto of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act was sustained in the Senate, but by only three votes. The Child Custody Protection Act was blocked by a quasi-filibuster orchestrated by pro-abortion Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (SD).
In addition, language to cut off U.S. foreign aid funds to organizations that campaign to repeal foreign abortion laws was dropped from the omnibus bill only because President Clinton vowed he would veto the entire massive measure if the language was included, and there were insufficient votes to override such a veto. Congress instead sent Clinton a separate bill (HR 1757) that contained both the pro-life language and $926 million in " back dues" for the United Nations, but Clinton vetoed that bill on October 21. (See story on this page.)