Status of Major Pro-Life Legislation in Congress

By NRLC Federal Legislative Office

WASHINGTON (March 15) ­ The U.S. House and U.S. Senate are poised to consider several major pieces of pro-life legislation during the months immediately ahead. What follows is a summary of the current status of some major right-to-life issues in Congress.

Partial-Birth Abortion

The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act was originally introduced in June, 1995, by Congressman Charles Canady (R-Fl.). The bill would place a national ban on partial-birth abortions, except to save the life of the mother. President Clinton has twice vetoed the bill, and his vetoes have twice been sustained in the Senate, most recently in September, 1998.

On October 21, 1999, the Senate once again passed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (S. 1692), by a margin of 63-34. That was the largest margin of passage yet for the bill, but still two votes short of the two-thirds majority that would be necessary to override another veto.

On February 15, Congressman Canady re-introduced the bill in the House (HR 3660). At NRL News deadline on March 13, the House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to act on the bill within a matter of days. The committee is expected to approve the bill without weakening amendments.

The full House is tentatively scheduled to take up the bill in early April, and passage is again expected. Following a conference committee to iron out differences between the Senate and House versions, the measure will be sent to President Clinton, who is expected to again veto it ­ setting the stage for another veto override fight later in the year.

For more information on this issue, see the NRLC website at www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/index.html

Child Custody Protection Act

The Child Custody Protection Act (HR 1218, S. 661) would prohibit transportation of a minor across state lines for an abortion, if this circumvents a state parental notification or parental consent law.

HR 1218 passed the House on June 30, 1999, 270-159. At NRL News deadline on March 13, the bill was on a priority list maintained by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Ms.), and may be considered on the Senate floor by mid-May.

The Senate Democratic leadership may obstruct the bill by trying to use it as a vehicle for amendments on unrelated issues. If so, Lott may be forced to move for "cloture," a procedure that makes non-germane amendments out of order. Such a move would require 60 votes. NRLC has sent a letter to senators urging them to support such a cloture motion if necessary, and advising them that the roll call on cloture may be included in NRLC's congressional "scorecard" for this year's session.

For further information on this bill, see www.nrlc.org/Federal/CCPA/Index.html

Unborn Victims of Violence Act

The Unborn Victims of Violence Act (HR 2436, S. 1673) is a bill to recognize an unborn child as a victim when she is injured or killed during commission of a violent federal crime.

HR 2436 passed the House on September 30, 254-172. The House rejected an alternative measure backed by pro-abortion groups, which would have increased penalties for crimes that involve "interruption" of a pregnancy, but would have recognized only one victim in such crimes.

On February 23, the Senate Judiciary Committee conducted a public hearing on the Senate version of the bill, which is sponsored by Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio). The committee heard testimony from legal experts and from women whose babies were killed during criminal assaults. The bill is currently awaiting action by the committee.

For further information on this issue, see www.nrlc.org/Unborn_Victims/index.html

Pain Relief Promotion Act

The Pain Relief Promotion Act (HR 2260, S. 1272) is a bill to provide doctors with the ability to aggressively treat their patients' pain, while prohibiting the use of federally controlled drugs for physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia.

HR 2260 passed the House on October 27, 271-156. The bill is currently awaiting action by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which could occur soon. Action by the full Senate could occur as early as April. (See story, page 7.)

Baby Body Parts

Last October 21, the Senate narrowly rejected an amendment offered by Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH) to require increased disclosure of transactions involving the sale of the body parts of aborted babies, and to place some additional restrictions on the fees paid to abortion clinics by firms that collect such body parts.

In November, the House passed a resolution calling for hearings regarding allegations concerning "private companies that are involved in the trafficking of baby body parts for profit."

On March 9, the House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health and the Environment held an initial hearing on the issue. Members of the subcommittee found problems with the credibility of one witness, Dean Alberty, a medical technician formerly employed by two organ-harvesting firms. Another key figure, Dr. Miles Jones, did not respond to a subpoena, so the subcommittee voted to cite him for contempt of Congress. (See story, page 4.)

For more information on this issue, see http://www.nrlc.org/Baby_Parts/Index.html.)

Killing Embryos

The Clinton-Gore Administration is expected to soon begin federal funding of experiments that require the killing of human embryos. The embryos will be obtained from "infertility clinics" and will be killed by dissection in order to obtain their "stem cells," which are desired for use in various medical experiments.

NRLC and other groups believe the Administration's announced plan, once implemented, will violate a current federal law, the Dickey Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of "research in which" embryos are harmed.

However, pro-abortion Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who strongly supports embryo-destructive research, has introduced a bill (S. 2015) that would explicitly authorize federal funding of such experiments. Specter's bill is expected to come before the Senate sometime within the next two months. For further information on this issue, see www.nrlc.org/Killing_Embryos/Index.html

Free Speech About Politicians

The Shays-Meehan bill (HR 417), a so-called "campaign reform" bill that would severely restrict free speech about officeholders and officeseekers, passed the House on September 14, 1999, by a vote of 252-177. However, in October the bill was blocked by a filibuster in the Senate, as was another speech-restrictive "campaign reform" bill sponsored by Senators John McCain (R-Az.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wi.).

McCain and Feingold are expected to make another attempt this year to pass some version of their legislation. NRLC will continue to oppose any legislation that would interfere with the rights of advocacy groups (such as NRLC and its affiliates) or political parties to communicate with the public regarding the positions of those who hold or seek federal office.

For further information on this issue, see http://www.nrlc.org/Federal/Free_Speech/index.html