ACTION ALERT!

U.S. Senate to Vote Soon On Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and Child Custody Protection Act

WASHINGTON (October 11, 1999) - - The U.S. Senate is expected to vote in October on two major pro-life bills the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (S. 1692) and the Child Custody Protection Act (HR 1218).

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (S. 1692)

In 1996 and again in 1997, President Clinton successfully vetoed legislation to place a national ban on partial-birth abortions.

Pro-life lawmakers are now preparing to make a third attempt to pass the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. The chief Senate sponsor of the bill (S. 1692), Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), expects the Senate to take up the bill on or about October 20.

The most recent Senate vote on the bill was an attempt to override President Clinton's 1997 veto. That vote occurred on September 18, 1998. The vote in favor of overriding the veto was 64-36 just three votes short of the two-thirds majority (67 votes) needed to override the veto. (That roll call appears as Senate vote no. 2 in the NRLC congressional scorecard for 1997- 98. It can also be found at the NRLC website at http://nrlc.org/news/1998/NRL10.98/senvote.html.)

The House is expected to take up the partial-birth abortion issue after the 106th Congress begins its second session, in early 2000.

Child Custody Protection Act (HR 1218)

The Child Custody Protection Act (HR 1218) would make it a federal offense for a non-parent to take a minor girl across state lines for an abortion, if this abridges the right of her parents (under state law) to be involved in the abortion decision. The House approved the bill on June 30, 270-159.

(The House roll call was published in the July 6 edition of NRL News, page 30. It can also be found on the NRLC website at http://nrlc.org/news/1999/NRL799/hsvt.htm.)

The prime Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-Mi.), hopes for Senate action on the bill in late October or early November.

The Senate has never conducted a real debate on the Child Custody Protection Act. When Senator Abraham attempted to move the bill forward in the previous Congress, it was blocked on a procedural vote on September 22, 1998. Although 54 senators voted to advance the bill, that was six votes short of the 60 votes needed to "invoke cloture" and overcome the procedural obstacle. That roll call appears as Senate vote no. 5 in the NRLC congressional scorecard for 1997-98. It can also be found at the NRLC website at http://nrlc.org/news/1998/NRL10.98/senvote.html.

For further information on the Child Custody Protection Act, including guidance on how to respond to criticisms of the bill, see "Key Points on the Child Custody Protection Act," June 10 NRL News, page 7.

Action Request

Please write to your two U.S. senators. Urge them to vote against all weakening amendments to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (S. 1692) and the Child Custody Protection Act (HR 1218), and to support passage of these important bills. In the case of senators who have voted before on these issues (see above), make appropriate positive or negative comments on those votes.

The address for all U.S. senators is:

Senator ____________
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Please send a copy of any response from a senator, or any local press report dealing with a senator's position on this (or any other) pro-life issue, to:

NRLC Federal Legislative Office
419-Seventh Street,
Northwest
Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20004
Phone: (202) 626-8820 Fax: (202) 347-3668
E-Mail: Legfederal@aol.com

For further information on these and other federal legislative issues, visit the NRLC website at www.nrlc.org. You can also hear recorded updates on current congressional events by calling the NRLC Federal Legislative Hotline at (202) 393-5433 (393-LIFE).