To defend the sanctity of innocent human life, this bill would prohibit a heinous procedure known as partial-birth abortion.

This legislation is identical to the bill passed overwhelmingly in both the House and the Senate last year and vetoed by President Clinton.

It would ban the use of one abortion procedure: a partial live-birth delivery, in which the abortionist stabs the baby's head with scissors and then vacuums out his or her brains.

Not a Rare Procedure

Despite reports that this is a rare procedure, there is now ample documentary evidence, most of it provided by media investigations, that many thousands of these partial-birth abortions are performed every year.

Most in Second, Not Third, Trimester

Some opponents of our bill want to ignore the incidence of partial-birth abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy, when it is far more common than in the last three months of pregnancy. Bill Clinton specifically refuses to accept a ban on partial-birth abortion in the second trimester.

"Health" Exception Would Gut Bill

Some opponents also have proposed what they call a compromise regarding the health of the mother. Their amendment would gut the bill because of the expansive judicial interpretation of the word "health."

Includes Life of the Mother Exception

Our bill provides criminal penalties for the performance of a partial-birth abortion, with an exception for those cases in which the mother's life would be endangered without it. Medical experts have testified that there are no such cases, but this exception language has been included in order to clear up any doubt about the matter.

No Penalties for Mothers

Because we want to assist women who face crisis pregnancies, our bill does not provide any penalties for those who have an abortion by the partial-birth method.

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