2003-2004 SENATE ROLL CALL VOTES

WV Roll Call Scores of Voting - U.S. Senate

(X = Pro-Life Vote; 0 = Pro-Abortion Vote)

1. Harkin Amendment to endorse Roe v. Wade: Passed: 52-46.  Senator Harkin offered an amendment to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (S. 3) endorsing the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion for all nine months of pregnancy for any reason. The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) opposed the Amendment. (Roll Call No. 48 - 3/12/2003)

2-3.  Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act - hostile amendments: (vote 2) Boxer Motion: Failed: 42-56.  Senator Boxer made a motion to send the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act back to the Judiciary Committee.  (vote 3) Feinstein Substitute: Failed: 35-60.  Senator Feinstein offered a "substitute amendment," which would have erased the Partial-Birth Abortion Act  and substituted a measure to (1) allow abortion without restriction before the abortionist declares that the unborn baby is "viable," and (2) allow abortions even after that point if the abortionist says that abortion is necessary to preserve the "health" of the woman. In the abortion context, "health" includes mental and emotional "well being."  The phony Feinstein ban would have in effect banned no abortions.  The NRLC opposed both amendments. (Roll Call No. 47 & 49 - 3/12/2003)

4-5.  Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 - passage: Passed: 64-33. (vote 4)  The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act prohibits performance of a partial-birth abortion, defined as an abortion in which the baby is delivered feet-first outside the body of the mother past the baby's navel, or the entire head is delivered outside the body of the mother, before the baby is killed. (vote 5) Passed 64-34.  Final passage of bill. NRLC supported the act. (Roll Call No. 51 & 402 - 3/21/2003 & 10/21/2003)

6.  Ban on abortions in military medical facilities: Failed: 48-51. Current law prohibits the use of U.S. military facilities for abortion, except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest.  An amendment was offered to repeal this ban. NRLC opposed the amendment. (Roll Call No. 192 -  5/22/2003)

7.  Funding of overseas pro-abortion organizations (Mexico City Policy): President Bush, by executive order, adopted a policy that U.S. funds for overseas "population assistance" programs could not go to private organizations that perform or promote abortion.  This policy is know as the “Mexico City Policy.” Senator Boxer offered an amendment to nullify the Mexico City Policy.  Pro-life Senator Lugar moved to kill the Boxer Amendment, a motion supported by NRLC.  The motion failed: 43-53.  (Roll Call No. 267 - 7/09/2003)

8-9.  Medicare Modernization Act: critical procedural vote:  Government-imposed denial of medical treatment necessary to save life is a form of involuntary euthanasia. Because Medicare is mandatory health insurance for older Americans, the government must not limit the ability of senior citizens to use their own money, if they wish, to get unrationed insurance for life-saving medical treatment under Medicare. The final version of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act  empowers older Americans to avoid involuntary denial of life-saving treatment by giving them this option, both for the "core" Medicare benefit that includes life-saving medical treatment and the new prescription drug benefit. Most critically, it provides that Medicare bureaucrats cannot impose rationing-causing price controls. Therefore, the NRLC supported passage of the bill.   (vote 8)  A procedural vote in favor of the bill passed 63-39.  (vote 9)  The vote on final passage of the bill was 54-44.  (Roll Call No. 458 & 459 - 11/24/03)

10-11.  Unborn Victims of Violence Act: Passed 61-38.  The bill would allow federal prosecutors to bring charges on behalf of a "child in utero" when he or she is a victim of a violent federal or military crime.  NRLC supported passage of the bill.  (vote 10)  A hostile substitute amendment which would have written into federal law that there is only one victim in such crimes -- the mother, failed 186-229.  NRLC opposed the amendment.  (Roll Call No. 31 & 30 - 2/26/04)