President Bush Calls for Ban on 
Partial-Birth Abortion and Human Cloning

January 30, 2003—Washington, DC: In his Tuesday night State of the Union address, President Bush called for Congress to pass a ban on partial-birth abortion and a bill that would completely ban all forms of human cloning.

"By caring for children who need mentors, and for addicted men and women who need treatment, we are building a more welcoming society—a culture that values every life," President Bush explained following a call for a mentoring program.

"And in this work we must not overlook the weakest among us. I ask you to protect infants at the very hour of their birth and end the practice of partial-birth abortion. And because no human life should be started or ended as the object of an experiment, I ask you to set a high standard for humanity and pass a law against all human cloning," Bush concluded.

Pro-life advocates were delighted by the focus on life issues in a speech so focused on the war on terror.

"I think this is a victory for the most vulnerable in society," explained Elizabeth Graham, associate director for Texas Right to Life. Graham pointed out that Bush is retaining his campaign commitments by leading the battle to pass such pro-life legislation.