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Congress to Vote on Fetal Pain Bill

By Jeralyn, Section Legislation
Posted on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 08:43:37 PM EST
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I know we're headed into a 1 week lame duck session of Congress, but this lame duck of a bill is just a stupid time waster.

The House has scheduled a vote on [NJ Rep. Christopher H.]Smith's fetal-pain bill, which, among other things, would require abortion providers to inform patients of the controversial assertion that the procedure may cause pain. Providers would also have to offer anesthesia for the fetus, which the patient would have to accept or reject in writing.

But GOP leaders put the measure on the fast track to passage, which means it will need the vote of two-thirds of the House. Even if the bill wins that much support, it will go nowhere in the Senate, Republicans concede.

Sen. Arlen Specter is still trying to pass a warrantless wiretapping bill. Happily, that looks like a no-go as well.

This is interesting:

....this Congress will have spent the least time in session of any in at least half a century, according to Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, congressional historians and the authors of "The Broken Branch," a critical look at recent Congresses.

As to their accomplishments,

In the time they have met, lawmakers have failed to approve a budget resolution or pass at least eight of the 11 annual spending bills.

As for Bush,

Bush's push for a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws produced a partially funded measure to build a border fence. His calls to restructure Social Security, rewrite the tax code and ease the cost of health insurance went unheeded.

What about the corruption scandals?

And GOP lawmakers' pledge to tighten ethics regulations in the wake of the indictments or resignations of four members fell flat.

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    Congress to Vote on Fetal Pain Bill | 8 comments (8 topical)

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    Maybe at the same time they could pass... (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Bill Arnett on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 05:03:31 PM EST
    ...a law declaring that adult prisoners of the War on Terra are also capable of feeling pain, and that every torturer on the government payroll would have to acknowledge this in writing before torturing someone.

    Nah, REAL HUMAN BEINGS just don't deserve the same considerations as a blastocyst or a fetus incapable of sustaining life.

    Until the evangelicals get on board with a program AGAINST the torturing of REAL HUMANS it is the very height of hypocrisy for them to harp endlessly on this.

    I wish we could (none / 0) (#1)
    by aw on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 09:14:21 PM EST
    put Congress on an hourly wage.  Make them punch in and out and show work product.  No pay for fundraising or campaign time.  And tie raises for them to raises in the minimum wage.

    But then (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 09:17:11 PM EST
    Who would want to run

    Parent
    A better class of people (none / 0) (#3)
    by aw on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 09:20:57 PM EST
    The kinds who want to go into actual public "service."


    Parent
    Hmmm (none / 0) (#5)
    by squeaky on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 09:29:56 PM EST
    It seems to me that if you make it to congress your tireless efforts would pay off and you would be trusted enough not to have to be on a timeclock.

    That is not to say that they are not accountable on many other levels.

    Parent

    It (none / 0) (#6)
    by aw on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 09:43:16 PM EST
    wasn't really a serious comment.  Except for the part about tying the pay raises together.

    Parent
    it's hard to accomplish much (none / 0) (#4)
    by cpinva on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 09:23:03 PM EST
    when you spend scarce time on:

    1. flag burning amendments
    2. gay marriage ban amendments
    3. anything spouted by rick santorum

    with regards to the "fetal pain" bill, shouldn't there be a scientific consensus, vs just a "faith based" consensus, before a law involving science is allowed to even take up time in congress?

    response to bill arnett (none / 0) (#8)
    by honeytrap on Sat Feb 17, 2007 at 07:23:44 PM EST
    I am against torture and endless detainment of suspects without access to the law, and I am also for pain relief of fetus' and infants.  Being unable to sustain life outside of the womb does not mean one cannot feel pain.  The technology today shows reactions to stimili, not just primitive reactions but real responses, early on.  I agree that the Republican party is usually hypocritical when it comes to values.  They may not oppose torture but oppose abortion; they are "pro-family" but vote against welfare which would help families--they accept corporate welfare but vote against minimum wage increases. Leftists can also be accused of being hypocritical, for placing value on some matters and not others.

    Congress to Vote on Fetal Pain Bill | 8 comments (8 topical)

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