Americans: wot was the abortion bill passed?

caught a bit of the news today before i went to uni and they had somethign on about George Bush signing somethign with regards to abortion. didn't catch the lot of it so i'm just wondering what the script is.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100n...name_page.html


Bush signs abortion ban law Nov 6 2003

President George Bush has signed US legislation banning a certain type of abortion, handing the disputed procedure's opponents a long-sought victory even as a judge questioned the constitutionality of the new law.

"For years, a terrible form of violence has been directed against children who are inches from birth while the law looked the other way," Bush said as he signed the ban on a procedure called partial-birth abortion by its critics.

"Today at last the American people and our government have confronted the violence and come to the defence of the innocent child."

The White House staged the ceremony last night, before about 400 cheering MPs and abortion opponents.

An "Amen" was heard from the audience as Bush sat down at a desk, before a row of American flags, to sign the Bill passed last month by Congress.

Less than an hour later, a judge in Nebraska blocked the ban from applying to four doctors.

District Judge Richard Kopf issued a temporary restraining order against the law after a three-hour hearing in Nebraska brought by abortion-rights supporters.

The order applies only to the doctors in the suit, who are licensed in 13 states: Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and New York.

The judge cited concerns that the law did not contain an exception for preserving the health of the woman seeking the abortion.

Besides Nebraska, hearings were also held in San Francisco and New York City on similar challenges.

Fully aware of the impending legal obstacles, Bush said, to a standing ovation: "The executive branch will vigorously defend this law against any who would try to overturn it in the courts."

The president's signature represented an end to a legislative crusade that began after Republicans captured the House in 1995. Former president Bill Clinton twice vetoed similar bills, arguing that they lacked an exception to protect the health of the mother.

The law, approved by the House and Senate late last month, prohibits doctors from committing an "overt act" designed to kill a partially delivered foetus and allows no exception if the woman's health is at risk, or if the child would be born with ailments. The procedure, which usually involves puncturing the foetus's skull, is generally performed in the later stages of pregnancy.

Aware of its backing among the religious conservatives that make up a key portion of his base of political support, the president declared himself pleased to sign legislation he said would help him and others "build a culture of life" in America. To that end, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the president supports additional legislative moves - which he did not specify - to further restrict abortion.

"This right to life cannot be granted or denied by government, because it does not come from government - it comes from the creator of life," the president said, receiving another lengthy standing ovation.

But Bush is also mindful of the more moderate voters he cannot afford to alienate, and last week repeated a position he offered during his 2000 campaign. He said he would not seek a total ban on abortion because public opinion had not yet shifted to support such a move.

The law bans abortions in the second or third trimester, which means means anything after 12 or 13 weeks of prgnancy.
I don't want to comment too much because I don't want a political fight here but I am horrified. Bush's comment was that the violence will be stopped He doesn't seem to mind the violence elsewhere in the world.
The following quote is from the New York Times
For years a terrible form of violence has been directed against children who are inches from birth while the law looked the other way,'' Bush told religious leaders, members of Congress and other abortion foes at a signing ceremony at the Ronald Reagan Building. ``Today at last the American people and our government have confronted the violence and come to the defense of the innocent child.''

Kathleen

I understand what you are saying Kathleen. It is just a bit hypocritical. I also don't like the fact he didn't add anything in this bill that states it is alright to do this when the mother's life is at risk. Just another case of not thinking things totally through.


Don't even get me started on the No Child Left Behind Act either...

so abortions until the 12th week are still okay??
thats what its like over here and i think thats the best solution

I agree Choc. I don't think he will try to ban abortion, not a politically sound idea with elections coming up.

i think it's upto the 20th week u get here but it could just as easilly be the 12th.

to be honest i think it should be upto the person in question. a girl i went to school with and was good friends with had an aboprtion a few months ago after only knowign her boyfrienbds for a couple of weeks. i'm not supposed to know about it and she doesn't know i do and whilst it kind of brought it home to me that a life was ended before it begun i still think in the long run theres a lot of cases where the lifes ended after the childs born either through neglect, unwant or just lack of love and stability from the parent.

My mother went into labor and had me in her 2nd trimester. They could save my life in 1975. If some of those same children who are being aborted were being born, the doctors would do everything to save their lives. If a someone kills a pregnant woman, he's charged with 2 counts of murder. The legal system is screwed. Is it a baby or not? Is it a human life or not?

I don't have answers, just questions.

Becky

I think everything after the first trimester is too late to have an abortion!!! by then the child starts to develop arms and legs and everything....

I tend to agree but this subject has become a political football in this country - with women as the football. This bill is well know as a "stepping stone" bill that will lead to further restrictions and an eventual ban on all abortions. I am not crazy about the thought of abortion - I have 3 kids and can't contemplate not having either of them. On the other hand I have friends who are catholic (as I am) who had 5 and 6 kids that they could not afford to support and then finally had an abortion when they got pregnant with yet another baby. Obviously, birth control measures could solve some of these issues but this administration is also limiting access and information about birth control. My local school district had one of the nations best sex-ed classes when my sons went to high school in the nineties. Their funding was completely cut after Bush got in because they taught birth control and recommended Planned Parenthood. They were told to drop those topics or lose their funding. They kept the topics but have fewer classes now due to budget restrictions.

Kathleen