The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act passed 64-34 in the Senate on October 21, 2003. Voting “yes” in favor of the bill were 17 Democrats and 47 Republicans. Voting “no” against the bill were 30 Democrats, 3 Republicans and 1 Independent. Not voting were 1 Democrat and 1 Republican.

Catholic Senators who voted “no”:

Senators and Party State
Christopher Dodd (D)
Tom Harkin (D)
Richard Durbin (D)
Edward Kennedy (D)
John Kerry (D)
Barbara Mikulski (D)
Susan Collins (R)
Jack Reed (D)
Patty Murray (D)
Maria Cantwell (D)
CT
IA
IL
MA
MA
MD
ME
RI
WA
WA

Vote according to Religious Affiliation:

“No” vote 34  “Yes” vote 64 Not Voting 2
Catholic 10 Catholic 12 Episcopalian 1
Christian 1 Baptist 6 Methodist 1
Congregationalist 2 Christian 4
Episcopalian 2 Church of Jesus Christ 1
Greek Orthodox 2 Episcopalian 8
Jewish 9 Jewish 2
Methodist 4 Lutheran 4
Presbyterian 2 Methodist 10
Protestant 1 Mormon 4
United Church of Christ 1 Presbyterian 10
Protestant 2
Unitarian 1
No Religious Affiliation 1

Vote according to sex:

“No” Vote “Yes” Vote Not Voting
Male: 25 Male: 59 Male: 1
Female: 9 Female: 5 Female: 1

The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban passed 281-142 in the House of Representatives on October 2, 2003. Voting “yes” in favor of the bill were 63 Democrats and 218 Republicans. Voting “no” against the bill were 137 Democrats, 4 Republicans and 1 Independent. Not voting were 5 Democrats and 7 Republicans.

Catholic Representatives who voted “no”:

Representative  and Party State
Joe Baca (D)
Xavier Becerra (D)
Timothy Bishop (D)
Robert Brady (D)
Michael Capuano (D)
Dennis Cardoza (D)
William Lacy Clay, Jr. (D)
Peter DeFazio (D)
William D. Delahunt (D)
Rosa DeLauro (D)
Charlie Gonzalez (D)
Raul Grijalva (D)
Luis Gutierrez (D)
Maurice D. Hinchey (D)
Dennis Kucinich (D)
John Larson (D)
Edward Markey (D)
Karen McCarthy (D)
Carolyn McCarthy (D)
Betty McCollum (D)
James McGovern (D)
Martin T. Meehan (D)
Robert Menendez (D)
George Miller (D)
James P. Moran (D)
Grace Napolitano (D)
Frank E. Pallone (D)
Ed Pastor (D)
Nancy Pelosi (D)
Charles Rangel (D)
Ciro Rodriguez (D)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D)
Linda Sanchez (D)
Loretta Sanchez (D)
Jose Serrano (D)
Hilda Solis (D)
Ellen Tauscher (D)
Mike Thompson (D)
Nydia Velazquez (D)
Diane Watson (D)
CA
CA
NY
PA
MA
CA
MO
OR
MA
CT
TX
AZ
IL
NY
OH
CT
MA
MO
NY
MN
MA
MA
NJ
CA
VA
CA
NJ
AZ
CA
NY
TX
CA
CA
CA
NY
CA
CA
CA
NY
CA

Not voting Catholic Representatives:

Representative  and Party State
Kevin Brady (R)
Anna Eshoo (D)
Lane Evans (D)
Henry Hyde (R)
James Walsh (R)
TX
CA
IL
IL
NY

Vote according to Religious Affiliation:

“No” vote 142  “Yes” vote 281 Not Voting 2
Catholic 40 Catholic 81 Catholic 5
Christian 68 Christian 185 Christian 6
Jewish 25 Greek Orthodox 1 Mormon 1
Mormon 1 Mormon 9
No Religion 8 No Religion 4

Vote according to sex:

“No” Vote “Yes” Vote Not Voting
Male: 107 Male: 255 Male: 11
Female: 35 Female: 26 Female: 1

Here’s a sampling of what Democratic candidates for the presidency said in the wake of President Bush’s signing into law the bill that bans partial-birth abortion:

      • Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean: “There is no such thing as ‘partial-birth abortion’ in medical literature.”

      • Senator John Kerry: “There is no such thing as a partial birth.”

      • General Wesley Clark: “This bill is unconstitutional, and it sacrifices the health and safety of American women.”

      • Senator John Edwards: “With the stroke of a pen, President Bush just let every women in America know that his political ideology comes first, and her health comes last.”

      • Senator Joseph Lieberman: “Today, the President signs into law a bill that lets the political agenda of right-wing Republicans override the rights and health of American women.”
        Here is what other leaders in the Democratic Party said:

      • Senator Barbara Boxer: It is “a very sad day for women in America.”

      • Senator Hillary Clinton: “This bill is not only ill-advised, it is unconstitutional.”

      • Rep. Louise Slaughter: The bill is “a dangerous precedent.”

      • Rep. Linda Sanchez: The ban is “dangerous, deceptive and unconstitutional.”

      • Rep. Barbara Lee: “Where’s the justice in women dying for no reason?”

      • Rep. Carolyn Maloney: “The bill has absolutely nothing to do with so-called late-term abortions or with banning one specific procedure.”

      • Rep. Zoe Lofgren: “They made up the name.”

      • Rep. Lois Capps: “This procedure is not even found in any medical literature.”

      • Rep. Jan Schakowsky: The ban is “harmful to women.”

      • Rep. Jerold Nadler: “You will not find the term ‘partial-birth abortion’ in a medical textbook.”

It should be pointed out that the term “throwing up” is not found in medical textbooks also, yet everyone knows what it is. Similarly, partial-birth abortion accurately conveys what doctors politely call dilation and extraction. Perhaps one of the above champions of women can explain what exactly it is that is being extracted. A tooth?

Names count and that is one reason why our side won this battle. No one knows how much names count more than Kate Michelman, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America: “They ran away with this debate in the public domain by constantly describing this procedure.” Michelman is onto something real—knowledge can be a very effective weapon, especially when used against pathological liars.

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