WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- With the help of some strong advocates of abortion rights, Congress has passed a bill banning a specific abortion procedure for the first time.
Seventeen Democrats, many of them avid abortion rights supporters, voted to ban the procedure that critics call partial-birth abortion, helping make passage possible.
It was no surprise, the New York Times said, since most had voted to forbid the procedure several times before, as had many abortion rights proponents in the House.
Some Democrats who voted in favor said they felt that they were reflecting the views of their constituents or just found the procedure morally repugnant.
Others, like Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, wanted to get the matter into the courts. He said it was "time to move on."
Abortion rights advocates plan a court challenge as soon as President Bush signs the bill, contending the ban is unconstitutional because it lacks an exception for the health of the pregnant woman.
