URGENT ACTION ALERT - Veto Override Vote Coming Up

All supporters of reproductive rights should swing into action immediately as it looks very likely that the House of Representatives will be voting this Thursday, September 19th, on the right wing's attempt to override the President's veto of the late term abortion bill (H.R. 1833). Due to the very short timeline, it is essential that all phone trees and fax alert systems get the word out today or Tuesday at the latest. House members need to be called or faxed or e-mailed messages asking them to sustain the President's veto. The Christian Coalition (and other conservative religious groups) are generating thousands of calls to House members on this issue. Our position must be heard loud and strong.

House members who need to hear from reproductive rights supporters are all Democratic members and all pro-choice Republican members.

Here are the important points that activists should stress in their communications with House members:

• This is a rare procedure which is used by less than 600 women a year. It is performed only when life- or health-threatening conditions are present or when there is severe fetal deformity. This medical procedure must continue to be available -- as Roe v. Wade allows -- to preserve the life and health of the woman. H.R. 1833 does not provide any exceptions to prevent damage to the woman's health.
• Neither Congress nor politics should play a role in making medical decisions; doctors and patients need to be making those decisions -- especially when critical life- or health-threatening factors are involved.
• Public opinion polling shows that a majority of the public is supportive of maintaining access to this medical proceure when a woman's health is endangered...and that three out of four voters are less likely to vote for candidates who would ban these late term abortions [Hickman-Brown, August, 1996].
• Roe v. Wade does not permit the banning of post-viability abortions when the procedure is necessary to preserve the woman's life or health. As such, H.R. 1833 presents a direct constitutional challenge to Roe v. Wade. Poll after poll shows that men and women want abortion to be safe and legal; they do not want to turn the clock back to the days when women lost their lives in illegal, unsafe procedures.
• House members who are Democrats must vote to support the President' wise veto of this unconstitutional, unpopular bill that threatens the lives and health of thousands of women.