WASHINGTON (April 5, 2000) -- Helen Alvare, Director of Planning and Information for the Pro-Life Secretariat of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, hailed today's vote by the House of Representatives to pass a ban on partial-birth abortion by a margin sufficient to override an expected presidential veto.

The House approved the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (H.R. 3660) April 5 by a vote of.287-141.

"This marks the third time that both Houses of Congress have passed this bill and will send it to the President's desk," Ms. Alvare said. "We pray that President Clinton will consider his flawed objections to the bill and sign it into law as soon as possible."

The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act bans the direct killing of a child who is partly delivered alive. Polls have consistently shown that the vast majority of American support such a ban.

The first Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act approved by the U.S. House and Senate was vetoed by President Clinton in 1996. He also vetoed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1997. Thus far, congressional efforts to override the President's veto have passed in the House but narrowly failed in the Senate. Last October, the Senate passed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1999 by a vote of 63-34, four votes shy of the number needed to override the veto.

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