Planned Parenthood tries to join forces with Clinton and the American Medical Association to block bill which would end gruesome abortion practice
On November 1, 1995, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to bn the “partial birth” abortion method known as D&X. The method consists of partially delivering a baby feet first, inserting scissors into the baby’s skull and sucking out the contents of the brain while the baby’s head is still in the birth canal.
The House voted 288 –139 to outlaw the macabre procedure. This was the first time congress has ever voted to ban a specific abortion procedure.
Backers of the bill, including New Jersey Representative Chris Smith, called the debate the most important one since Roe vs. Wade. He said the procedure “inflicts a death so cruel that it would never be inflicted on a convicted murderer, so cruel that it would surely be a crime to inflict such torture on a dog…is too cruel to be inflicted on a child.”
Opponents of the bill warned that it was a first step to ban all abortions. They argued that the wording would outlaw other late term abortion procedures.
The U.S. Senate has yet to rule on the bill and has voted to send the bill to committee for hearing. Senator Bob Smith, a New Hampshire Republican who sponsored the bill, supported by Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, decided not to oppose the committee hearings. Fear of a defeat in passing the bill if voted upon without hearings may have influenced their decision. Smith commented also that “….the more one learns about this horrible procedure, the harder it is to defer it…Let’s go ahead and hold a hearing.”
Opponents of the bill also agreed that a hearing on the issue would be beneficial and that a Judicial Committee might approve amendments that would weaken the measure.
It is estimated by the national Abortion Federation that 450 “partial birth” abortions are performed each year in the US by at least two doctors who admit to using the procedure.
US President Bill Clinton opposes the bill because it does not provide protection for the life or health of the mother:
Human Life International (HLI) reports that plans to defeat the senate bill dominated the 79th Annual Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s conference held recently in New York.
The organization revealed a strategy to block the passing of the bill by having it referred to a judiciary committee with pro-abortion senators such as Ted Kennedy and Dianne Feinstein. They also intend to lobby the American Medical Association to join them in opposing the bill as well as to call on friends in the senate to filibuster the bill.
They are concerned, however, that such delays will provide pro-life organizations with more time to educate the senators and the public.
Planned Parenthood (PP) also plans to try to prevent photographs or diagrams of the procedure from being displayed on the floor of the senate. Father Matthew Habiger, HLI International President, calls PP’s actions “typical of their fear of and callous regard for the truth.”
