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- <text id=89TT2892>
- <title>
- Nov. 06, 1989: Bush's No-No On Abortion
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1989
- Nov. 06, 1989 The Big Break
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- NATION, Page 30
- Bush's No-No On Abortion
- </hdr><body>
- <p>The President's twin vetoes slow the pro-choice momentum
- </p>
- <p> Abortion-rights activists may be winning over politicians
- and the public, but they still lack the muscle to override their
- most powerful opponent. Two weeks ago, George Bush vetoed a bill
- to permit Medicaid to pay for the abortions of the victims of
- rape or incest. Last week, by a count of 231 to 191, the House
- of Representatives fell 51 votes short of the two-thirds
- majority necessary to overturn him. Bush then vetoed the
- District of Columbia's $3.4 billion annual budget because it
- includes Medicaid funds for abortion.
- </p>
- <p> The President called his first veto agonizing; he supports
- the right to an abortion in cases of rape or incest. His second
- veto, which came as he was leaving town for Costa Rica,
- indicated how firmly he has decided to stand with the
- right-to-life movement: the D.C. budget he killed also contained
- $32 million for the Administration's drive to make Washington
- a show case in the war on drugs.
- </p>
- <p> Antiabortion forces also took heart last week from
- victories in Pennsylvania and Michigan. The Pennsylvania house
- of representatives voted 143 to 58 to prohibit most abortions
- after 24 weeks, require that women be informed of the medical
- risks of abortion and impose a 24-hr. waiting period. Michigan's
- senate approved a bill that would require parental consent to
- abortions for girls 17 years old or younger.
- </p>
- <p> Pro-choice forces nonetheless feel they have the political
- momentum. A TIME/CNN poll of 1,000 adult women last week
- indicated a dramatic shift on the issue since the Supreme Court
- ruled in July that states could pass laws restricting abortion.
- Only 12% said abortion should be illegal under all
- circumstances. Moreover, 66% disagreed with the Supreme Court
- ruling, and 54% said abortion is one of the most important
- issues facing the country today.
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
-
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