"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" -Oscar Wilde |
"The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself." -- Proverbs 11:25 |
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would make it a federal crime to help an under-age girl escape parental notification laws by crossing state lines to obtain an abortion.
The bill was approved on a 65-to-34 vote, with 14 Democrats joining 51 Republicans in favor.
A similar measure passed the House last year, and President Bush said he would sign the legislation if the two chambers could work out their differences and send a final bill to him.
In a statement, Mr. Bush said that “transporting minors across state lines to bypass parental consent laws regarding abortion undermines state law and jeopardizes the lives of young women.”
Critics questioned the necessity of the measure, saying it would apply to only a small number of cases and could result in criminal charges against close relatives or clergy members who interceded to help in a time of personal crisis.
The measure also provided Republicans another opportunity to reassure their social conservative base that its concerns were being addressed in an election year. And it gave them a chance to force Democrats to take a position on an issue some would prefer to avoid out of concern over alienating abortion-rights advocates on one hand or Democratic centrists on the other.