Congress Passes Legislation Banning Late-Term Abortions

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Republican congress Wednesday night passed a bill which would ban late-term abortions unless the procedure is required to save the mother's life. The vote on the controversial bill was 286 to 129, but President Clinton is likely to veto the legislation since he believes it does not include enough protection for pregnant women. Other opponents of the bill claim that the bill infringes on the right of physicians to practice medicine without fear of government intrusion. The technique, performed about 200 times a year, involves partially delivering the fetus, and then collapsing and draining its skull contents. The process is an "offense to the conscience of mankind," said Florida Republican Representative Charles Canady, one of the bill's supporters who believe the measure has wide public support in this election year. "The whole push is part of the pro-life movement to eliminate abortion, grisly procedure by grisly procedure," says TIME's Michael Duffy. "By the end of this process, there will be less of a universal right to choose."