Editorial

Life-affirming laws: Encouraging news

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There is encouraging news coming out of our nation's capital about several life-affirming laws. The mainstream media has not paid much attention to them (it seems that business scandals, the roller-coaster stock market, and national security have taken priority).

So I would like to alert Catholic Herald readers to some of these promising pieces of pro-life legislation - and let interested citizens know how they can help ensure these measures are enacted into law.

Born-Alive Infants Protection Act. The U.S. Senate approved this act on July 18. It would guarantee certain rights under federal law to children born alive, even during an abortion. This act would amend the legal definitions of "person," "human being, " "child," and "individual" to include a live birth that has occurred as part of an abortion procedure. The bill defines a child as "born alive" only if he or she displays a heartbeat, respiration, and/or voluntary movements after "the complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother."

The House of Representatives approved the legislation by a voice vote in March. This bill is now headed to President George W. Bush's desk. He is expected to sign it, but it wouldn't hurt for people to contact the president encouraging his prompt action.

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. The House approved the ban on a vote of 274-151 on July 24. The act is designed to respond to concerns raised in the U.S. Supreme Court's Stenberg vs. Carhart decision in the year 2000. The proposal now goes to the Senate, where supporters will try to bring it to the floor before the end of the legislative session.

The House had approved bills banning partial-birth abortions three times previously. Legislation passed Congress twice but was vetoed by then President Bill Clinton both times. President Bush has promised to sign a bill to ban partial-birth abortions.

More than half the states have enacted laws to ban partial-birth abortions. Opinion polls have shown that at least 70 percent of Americans support such a ban, reported Catholic News Service.

I urge concerned citizens to contact the president and their members of Congress to support this ban. (See contact information below.) There seems to be renewed support for life-affirming laws. Let's keep the ball rolling in Washington!

Mary C. Uhler, editor