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 A weekly report on public policy issues in Washington, the states, and the world.  Contact Senators - Urge them to reject the ban on so-called "partial birth" abortions by voting against S. 1692 Moving toward the Responsible Choices Agenda Goal: (New York Senate Approves Clinic Access Bill) Goal: (Wisconsin Legislature Holds Hearings On Contraceptive Equity) Week of October 18th Senate debate of so-called "partial birth" abortion ban November 19th Earliest expected date for adjournment of the first session of the 106th Congress On October 16, 1916 the first birth control clinic in the U.S. was opened by Margaret Sanger in Brooklyn, New York. Senate To Debate So-Called "Partial Birth" Abortion Ban Senate Approves Agriculture Appropriations Bill Senate Passes Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill Rep. Porter To Retire New York Senate Approves Clinic Access Bill Wisconsin Legislature Holds Hearing On Contraceptive Equity Governor Vetoes School-Based Clinic and STI Education Bills |
Senate To Debate So-Called "Partial Birth" Abortion Ban The Senate has used a parliamentary device to bring up its version of the ban on so-called "partial birth" abortions without first going through committee review. The bill to be considered is S. 692, introduced by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA). It is the same legislation that has been passed by Congress twice and twice vetoed by President Clinton. It also is similar to state-passed legislation that has been rejected repeatedly when challenged in federal and state courts. The bill is expected to be on the Senate floor the week of October 18th. Senators should be contacted and urged to oppose this legislation. Talking points and other information are available from the Government Relations Department at the PPFA Washington office. Senate Approves Agriculture Appropriations Bill This week the Senate approved the conference report on the Agriculture Appropriations bill. The conference report did not included the House-passed Coburn amendment that would have barred the Federal Food and Drug Administration from doing research on or approving any drug that would be used as an abortifacient. This is the second year in a row that the Coburn amendment has been stripped from the bill in conference. The bill now goes to the President. Senate Passes Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill On October 7th, the Senate passed its version of the FY 2000 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations bill. It contains no new restrictions on family planning. It also contains an amendment offered by Sens. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Bob Graham (D-FL) to restore the Social Services Block Grant to its authorized funding level of $2.38 billion. Because of the October 21st deadline imposed by congressional leaders for either getting appropriations bills to the President, the House decided not to bring its bill to the floor. The bill that passed in the full Appropriations Committee will be conferenced with the Senate-passed bill. Because House leaders have strongly stated that they want appropriations bills free of riders, there currently are no restrictions on family planning in either bill. The Senate bill includes $7.4 million more than the House bill for the Title X family planning program and $500 million more for the Social Services Block Grant (Title XX of the Social Security Act). Rep. Porter To Retire Rep. John Porter (R-IL), long-time supporter of family planning and reproductive rights, has announced his intention to retire at the end of this term. Porter is the chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services-Education. In that capacity, he has worked hard to protect the Title X family planning program from the assaults by the anti-family planning and anti-choice factions of his party. One of his stated reasons for retiring is that, even if the Republicans keep control of the House after the 2000 election, he would be forced by Republican Caucus rules to step down from his chairmanship. Reps. Thomas Ewing (R-IL) and Rick Hill (R-MT) also have announced their intentions to retire at the end of this term. To date, five senators (Bryan, D-NV; Chafee, R-RI; Lautenberg, D-NJ; Mack, R-FL; and Moynihan, D-NY) have announced their retirements. Thirteen representatives have decided to retire (Archer, R-TX; Canady, R-FL; Chenoweth, R-ID; Clay, D-MO; Coburn, R-OK; Ewing, Goodling, R-PA; Hill; Kasich, R-OH; Metcalf, R-WA; Porter; Salmon, R-AZ; and Sanford, R-SC). Eight other House members are seeking other offices (Reps. Franks, R-NJ; Klink, D-PA; McCollum, R-FL; McIntosh, R-IN; Stabenow, D-MI; Talent, R-MO; Weygand, D-RI; and Wise, D-WV).  State Legislative Update New York Senate Approves Clinic Access Bill During a special session on October 7th held specifically for this purpose, the New York Senate approved a bill to guarantee safe access to clinics that provide abortion services. The bill increases penalties for violence at clinics, and expands protection to include places of worship. It also makes stalking a felony. Similar legislation has been offered, and approved by the Assembly, for the past seven years. The Senate, however, has refused to approve it. This year, with the continued work of pro-choice organizations in the state and the support of Gov. George Pataki (R), success was achieved. Wisconsin Legislature Holds Hearing On Contraceptive Equity On October 7th, the Wisconsin Senate held a hearing on a proposed contraceptive equity bill. Fourteen groups testified in support of the bill. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Wisconsin Nurses Association, Wisconsin Business and Professional Women and the Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care were among those who testified for the bill. While state insurance and small business groups registered their opposition to the proposal, only Pro-Life Wisconsin testified against it. Governor Vetoes School-Based Clinic and STI Education Bills California Gov. Gray Davis (D) vetoed a bill that would have expanded school-based clinics. He also vetoed a bill that would have required that schools provide instruction on AIDS and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for students in grades 7-12. The school-based clinic bill would have established state guidelines for creating school-based clinics. It also would have allowed those school-based clinics that complied with these state guidelines to receive funding from the federal Healthy Families program for services to students who have no health insurance. Supporters noted that currently, school-based health clinics in the state are totally unregulated, and no one even knows exactly how many exist. They argued that having clinics in the schools would be an excellent way to reach uninsured young people and provide them the health care that they need. Supporters also pointed out that clinics would be created at community urging and that students would need parental consent to participate. Opponents argued that expanding the number of school-based clinics in the state would make it easier for young people to get tested for STIs, and receive contraceptives and abortion referrals without their parents' knowledge. They also maintained that it would be dangerous for young people to obtain health care without their parent's knowledge. In his veto message, Davis said that he supported school-based health clinics, but "it is unclear how the placement of voluntary guidelines into statue will assist the formation or continuation of such programs or the integration into managed care networks." In his veto message on the STI bill, Davis called it "unnecessary." He noted that current state education codes already require state sexuality education programs to "stress that sexually transmitted diseases are serious possible hazards." |
