Federal Abortion Ban 2007
Court’s ruling opens the door for more political interference in personal, private medical decisions. On April 18th, 2007 the United States Supreme Court upheld the first ever Federal Abortion Ban. This decision effectively reverses Supreme Court precedent and rolls back key protections that have been guaranteed since Roe v. Wade. “For the first time since Roe, the Court blesses a prohibition with no exception protecting a woman’s health...the Court’s defense of it, cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this Court— and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women’s lives. A decision so at odds with our jurisprudence should not have staying power.” - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg What is the Federal Abortion Ban? In 2003, Congress passed and President Bush signed into law the Federal Abortion Ban. This ban makes it a criminal offense to provide certain abortions. The ban has NO EXCEPTION FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH. Under the Ban, no exception will be made if a woman’s health is in danger, or if a doctor decides that a banned procedure is safest for her health. Immediately after President Bush signed the Federal Abortion Ban into law in 2003, pro-choice groups challenged it in three federal courts and won each case at the trial and appellate levels. Until the Supreme Court, every federal court that looked at this ban found it clearly unconstitutional. In fact, in 2000 the Supreme Court struck down a Nebraska law that was virtually identical to the Federal Abortion Ban. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor cast the fifth and decisive vote in striking down the law. This decision is a clear result of President Bush’s Supreme Court appointments. With Roberts and Alito now on the bench, the Supreme Court is rolling back women’s reproductive freedom. The decision is squarely at odds with medical opinion. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists– which represents 90 % of the OB GYNs in this country– says the ban is harmful to women’s health. Elections Matter! An anti-choice Congress and an anti-choice president used the political process to push this ban all the way to the Supreme Court. We must elect members of Congress and a President who will stand up for~ not attack~ our fundamental values of freedom and privacy. Oregon’s Own Senator Smith voted in line with President Bush Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon voted in line with Senators Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Pete Domenici of New Mexico and John Sununu of New Hampshire in supporting the first ever federal abortion ban.
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