Senate rejects fetal tissue regulation

On October 21, by a vote of 46 to 51, the Senate rejected an amendment to the partialbirth abortion ban (S 1692) to regulate the use of aborted fetal tissue. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Bob Smith (I.-N.H.), would have required anyone receiving such fetal tissue to disclose what abortion procedure was used, how old the fetus was, how the tissue would be used, the names of all those involved in the transfer, and whether money was exchanged in the transfer. It is currently illegal to sell fetal tissue.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D.-Calif.) opposed the amendment, despite Smith's compromise adjustments to it that would keep the identities of the abortion doctors and the mothers secret. Boxer said she feared Smith's amendment would increase the number of attacks on abortion clinics. "The one area we couldn't reach agreement on had to do with the identity of the health-care facility in which the woman had her legal and safe abortion. That will be subject to disclosure. Anyone could find out through a Freedom of Information request where that clinic is. There have been 33 instances of violence against health-care facilities since 1987:'

Smith said that current laws were not sufficient to keep fetal tissue from being sold. "We know that fetal body parts are being sold in violation of law. Abortions may be induced in certain ways, such as possibly partial birth, or perhaps even live births in order to have good fetal body tissue to sell."

He called abortion "a big industry," and said, "it is a very elaborate network of abortion providers getting those body parts to a wholesaler who then in turn is selling those body parts to universities and other research institutions."

Seven Republicans voted against the amendment, causing it to fail. Sen. John Breaux (D.-La.) was the only Democrat to support the measure.

A "yes" vote was a vote for an amendment requiring the disclosure of some information when aborted fetal tissue is sold, given, or traded. A "no" vote was a vote against the amendment.

FOR THE AMENDMENT: 46

REPUBLICANS FOR (44): Abraham, Allard, Ashcroft, Bennett, Brownback, Bond, Bunning, Burns, Campbell, Cochran, Coverdell, Craig, Crapo, DeWine, Domenici, Enzi, Fitzgerald, Frist, Gorton, Gramm (Tex.), Grams (Minn.), Grassley, Hagel, Hatch, Helms, Hutchinson (Ark.), Hutchison (Tex.), Inhofe, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, McCain, McConnell, Murkowski, Nickles, Roberts, Santorum, Sessions, Shelby, Smith (Ore.), Thomas, Thompson, Thurmond and Voinovich.

DEMOCRATS FOR (1): Breaux.

INDEPENDENTS FOR (1): Smith (N.H.).

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT: 51

REPUBLICANS AGAINST (7): Collins, Jeffords, Roth, Snowe, Specter, Stevens and Warner. DEMOCRATS AGAINST (44): Akaka, Baucus, Bayh, Biden, Bingaman, Boxer, Bryan, Byrd, Cleland, Conrad, Daschle, Dodd, Dorgan, Durbin, Edwards, Feingold, Feinstein, Graham (Fla.), Harkin, Hollings, Inouye, Johnson, Kennedy, Kerrey (Neb.), Kerry (Mass.), Kohl, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Leahy, Levin, Lieberman, Lincoln, Mikulski, Moynihan, Murray, Reed (R.I.), Reid (Nev.), Robb, Rockefeller, Sarbanes, Schumer, Torricelli, Wellstone and Wyden.

NOT VOTING (3): Chafee, Gregg and Mack.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Nov 12, 1999
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved