Bush, Kerry differ on partial-birth abortion ruling
- Jun 15, 2004 - comment
President Bush and Sen. John Kerry, the two parties’ presidential candidates, expressed contrasting viewpoints on the June 1 decision by a federal judge to strike down the Partial-birth Abortion Ban Act.
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan issued this statement on the day of the ruling: “Partial-birth abortion is an abhorrent procedure that must be ended once and for all. The President strongly disagrees with today’s California court ruling, which overturns the overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress that voted to pass this important legislation. The President is committed to building a culture of life in America and the administration will take every necessary step to defend this law in the courts.”
Meanwhile, Stephanie Cutter, spokeswoman for the John Kerry campaign, released this statement: “John Kerry voted to restrict late-term abortions but only where there was a clear exception for life or health of women. However, George Bush pushed through a different piece of legislation that failed to protect the health of women, and that is what the court struck down today. When John Kerry is president he will appoint judges that are committed to upholding the Constitution, not pursuing an ideological agenda.”
Federal judge Phyllis Hamilton in San Francisco invalidated the Partial-birth Abortion Ban Act. She permanently blocked enforcement of the law but applied that injunction only to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates, the city and county of San Francisco, and their representatives.
Opponents of the law also challenged it in federal courts in New York and Lincoln, Neb. The judges in those cases have yet to issue opinions.
Closing arguments in Lincoln occurred June 2, and federal judge Richard Kopf said he expects to issue his opinion Aug. 31, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Federal judge Richard Casey in New York heard final arguments in his court June 22.