WASHINGTON (July 18, 2002) –- On July 17 the House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 4695, the new Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, opposing all weakening amendments.

"Partial-Birth Abortion is a particularly cruel and unnecessary procedure that Americans have grown to hate," said Cathleen Cleaver, Esq., spokesperson for the Pro-Life Secretariat. The House has three times approved bills banning this practice, and the legislation passed Congress twice but was vetoed by President Clinton on both occasions. President Bush has said he will sign a bill to ban partial-birth abortion.

The U.S. Supreme Court in Stenberg v. Carhart struck down Nebraska's ban on the procedure in 2000. H.R. 4695 is designed to respond to the Court's concerns through more precise wording and through findings which address the issue of women's health.

More than half the states have enacted laws to ban partial-birth abortion, and polls consistently show that the overwhelming majority of Americans (70 percent and more) support such a ban. "Americans agree: Partial-birth abortion has no place in a country which believes in compassion and dignity for all. Unborn children suffer terrible pain, and women suffer risks to their health. This procedure must be stopped," Cleaver said.

"We urge the House to move quickly to pass H.R. 4695," Cleaver said.

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