Sen. Schumer Proposes Bankruptcy Bill Amendment To Prevent Antiabortion Advocates From Avoiding Protest-Related Fines

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 03 Mar 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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Sen Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has offered an amendment to a bankruptcy reform bill... (S 256) that would prevent antiabortion advocates from filing for bankruptcy to avoid paying fines if convicted of criminal activity while protesting at abortion clinics, UPI/Washington Times reports (Bourge, UPI/Washington Times, 3/1). Schumer introduced similar amendments to the Senate version of the legislation in 2002 and 2003. However, the House-passed version of the bill lacked the provision both years. Although House and Senate negotiators in 2002 agreed on compromise language that narrowed the abortion-related provision to pertain only to cases of intentional violence and apply more generally beyond abortion clinics, the House removed the abortion-related language altogether before passing the measure, and then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) refused to bring it to a vote in the Senate, effectively blocking the measure (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/28). However, based on a compromise reached with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Schumer said his amendment this session does not include the word "abortion" but instead pertains to anyone who "threatens or uses violence to get their way," according to CongressDaily. Schumer said, "It would equally apply to someone who blockaded a university or threatened a doctor because they were so fervent an advocate of animal rights," adding, "It would apply to a union that used violence or threats of violence" (Peterson, CongressDaily, 3/1).

'Poison Pill'?
Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that the amendment is a "poison pill" for bankruptcy reform because the House Republican leadership's opposition to the amendment in previous sessions led to the bill being blocked, according to UPI/Washington Times (UPI/Washington Times, 3/1). However Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), an abortion-rights opponent who is co-sponsoring the amendment, said that this session's amendment is not necessarily about abortion and is instead aimed at curtailing abuses in the bankruptcy system, according to the Los Angeles Times. "No matter how many times they say an abortion amendment should not be on bankruptcy, this is a bankruptcy amendment," Reid said, adding, "It's a true, true, true bankruptcy amendment" (Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 3/2). Schumer said he expects the amendment to come to a vote next week and predicted it could be "decided by a vote or two," according to CongressDaily. If the amendment fails, Schumer said he would consider filibustering the measure, according to CongressDaily (CongressDaily, 3/1). If the amendment is adopted, some lobbyists and congressional aides say it could cause the bankruptcy reform legislation to be blocked again this session (Godfrey, Dow Jones Newswires, 3/1). President Bush in the past has supported versions of the bill that did not include Schumer's amendment (Gordon, AP/Yahoo! News, 3/1).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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