Federal Abortion Rights Legislation

[David__77]

It occurred to me today, that during those two years when Bill Clinton was president and Democrats had healthy majorities in Congress, many opportunities were aquandered. While a good tax plan, unpaid family leave, the Federal Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and other things were passed, perhaps one of the most important that was not, and could have been, was legislation codifying Roe vs. Wade.

For over thirty years now, the right to abortion has rested on a hotly contested Supreme Court decision, with abortion rights advocates constantly on the alert for judicial threats to this precedent. We fear the Scalias and Rehnquists, when in fact the solution is to provide legislation that protects abortion and other reproductive rights.

The great majority of the Democratic Party that is pro-choice should join with the small minority of Republicans that are pro-choice to introduce and push such legislation each year until, someday, it can become law.

In the majority of states with pro-choice majorities or pluralities, this could be a useful campaign issue, forcing GOP congressmen to take a position. Abortion rights is an important civil rights and health care issue, and should be a central issue to winning the majority in Congress again.

And when we do again win the presidency and majority of Congress, we must maintain the discipline to enact federal legislation codifying Roe vs. Wade.

[Yupster]

1. Agree with you David

Laws should be written by Congress, not the Supreme Court.