WASHINGTON, Feb 02 (Reuters Health) -- In a vote with major overtones for
the 2000 presidential race, the Senate Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to prevent
those convicted of abortion clinic violence from discharging court-ordered
awards by declaring bankruptcy.
On the final day of consideration of a comprehensive bankruptcy bill, Vice
President Al Gore cut short a day of campaigning to return to Washington in
anticipation of having to break a predicted tie vote on an amendment offered by
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY). Schumer's amendment would have prevented those
convicted under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) law from
using the bankruptcy code to avoid paying damage awards.
But Republicans -- who spent the morning arguing against the amendment --
at the last minute urged their colleagues to vote for it, presumably to deprive
Gore of the ability to cast a key abortion rights vote in a campaign in which
his challenger, former Sen. Bill Bradley, has been questioning his abortion
voting record. "With this amendment accepted, nobody will be able to politically
demagogue this issue in the context of bankruptcy reform," said Sen. Orrin Hatch
(R-UT).
In the end, the amendment passed by a vote of 80-17, with Sen. Peter
Fitzgerald, (R-IL), voting "present." Since the Vice President votes only in the
case of a tie, Gore simply presided over the Senate during the vote, chatting
with Democratic Senators who took the excuse of the Vice President's presence to
hold a rally for him earlier in the morning.
But the debate leading to the vote was far less good-natured.
Abortion rights backers argued heatedly for the amendment. "This is not
about abortion, it's about violence against women," said Sen. Patty Murray
(D-WA). "We cannot allow violent extremists to use the bankruptcy code to carry
out their violent agenda."
Sponsors of the amendment noted that among those anti-abortion activists
who have declared bankruptcy is Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry, who
filed for Chapter 7 "to discharge my debts to those who would use my money to
promote the killing of the unborn." Also filing for bankruptcy were five
defendants who were found liable last year for publishing an Internet site
encouraging the killing of physicians who performed abortions.
But Republican leaders argued that the amendment was not needed. "We
should not get into this type of social engineering in the bankruptcy code,"
said Hatch. "This is just another overreach by those who want to make a
political issue out of this."
In urging Republicans to vote for the amendment, Hatch vowed that "we will
in good faith in conference correct the amendment."
