WASHINGTON, March 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Justice Department Friday promised to "vigorously" defend the federal partial-birth abortion ban when three constitutional challenges begin Monday.
"Next week, as trial begins in New York, Nebraska and California, the Justice Department will work vigorously to defend the law prohibiting partial-birth abortions," Justice Department spokeswoman Monica Goodling said. "The department will be devoting all resources necessary to defend the bipartisan findings of Congress that this violent practice is unnecessary, as well as painful and cruel to the partially born child."
The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down similar state bans because they did not include exceptions for the health of the mother. Congress sought to get around that ruling by declaring in the new law that all such abortions are never medically necessary.
No matter who wins the current challenges at the trial court level, the three cases eventually should be combined and reviewed by the Supreme Court.
