Abortion Debates

The battle lines on the abortion issue remain clearly drawn 30 years after the Supreme Court's controversial Roe v. Wade decision established a constitutional right to the procedure during most of a pregnancy. Anti-abortion groups continue to urge Congress and state legislatures to regulate abortion practices, while abortion-rights supporters say the measures undercut women's reproductive freedom. At the urging of President Bush, Congress is moving to ban a late-stage procedure that opponents call “partial-birth” abortion although the Supreme Court struck down a similar state law three years ago. The legislative fights continue unabated in the states, where more than 300 anti-abortion laws have been enacted since 1995. Meanwhile, both sides are girding for a possible fight over a Supreme Court nomination from Bush if one or more vacancies occur.