Norton Sees No Senate Eagerness to Undo D.C.’s Post-20-Week Abortion Victory Tuesday

The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that yesterday, on the same day the House defeated Rep. Trent Franks' (R-AZ) bill banning abortions in the District of Columbia after 20 weeks of pregnancy, anti-choice forces started a new battle in their war on the District and the reproductive rights of women across the country. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), the sponsor of the Senate companion to Franks' bill (S.2103), filed his bill as an amendment to the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (S.3414), which is being considered on the Senate floor this week. Norton believes that, working with Senate allies, she can keep this amendment from being attached to the bill. Senator Lee had introduced only 11 bills a little over a year into his first term before introducing the D.C. post-20-week abortion ban bill. Senator Lee did not issue a statement when he originally introduced the bill, until Norton publicized his attack on District's women and the city's right to self-government, and Senator Lee has not yet issued a press release on his amendment. Since the introduction of S.2103 in January, Norton has argued that the anti-choice special interest groups limited the bill's application to the District in order to avoid drawing the attention of the American public, particularly women, while still getting a federal imprimatur for a direct attack on Roe v. Wade. Although House leadership went along with this subterfuge and brought the bill to the floor under suspension of the rules, yesterday's bill limited debate, amendments, and public scrutiny that would have guaranteed further consternation from women and concern from the generally pro-choice public.

"What House Republicans failed to do yesterday, the Senate is unlikely to be keen to take up, to undermine the reproductive health of women nationwide, using this bill's direct attack on Roe v. Wade. It was no surprise that anti-choice interest groups tried again in the Senate. We have been ready all along," Norton said.

Published: August 1, 2012