The National Right to Life Committee is providing the following information in response to a number of press inquiries in connection with the news coverage surrounding the office of Senate Majority Leader.

Regarding the position of Senator Bill Frist (R-Tn.) on pro-life issues: Senator Frist has a pro-life voting record. In a 1998 letter to constituents, Senator Frist wrote, "As a physician, my professional ethics are grounded in preserving life, and I am opposed to abortion. I would make exceptions for instances of rape, incest, or to preserve the life of the mother." Regarding human cloning -- another pro-life issue much in the news recently -- Senator Frist has repeatedly expressed support for legislation to ban the cloning of human embryos; President Bush and National Right to Life also support such legislation.

Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Ms.) has maintained a pro-life voting record throughout his congressional career, and supports banning all human cloning.

All of the Senate votes of all senators on specific pro-life issues scored by the National Right to Life Committee over the past six years are posted on the NRLC website, www.nrlc.org, in the Legislative Action Center.

The National Right to Life Committee is the nation's major pro-life organization, with affiliates in all 50 states.

VSHL is the Virginia affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee.