Following tonight's State of the Union message, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) applauded President Bush for calling on Congress to pass legislation to ban partial-birth abortion, ban all human cloning, and prevent rationing of life-saving medical care.

In urging Congress to "end the practice of partial-birth abortion," the President was pressing for congressional approval of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, sponsored by Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). The bill was twice vetoed by former President Bill Clinton, and still faces strong opposition from a minority of U.S. senators, including presidential candidates John Kerry, John Edwards, and Joseph Lieberman. [Further information on the partial-birth abortion issue is posted here: www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/index.html ]

President Bush said, "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." This was a clear call for congressional approval of the legislation sponsored by Senator Sam Brownback (R-Ks.) and by Congressmen Dave Weldon (R-Fl.) and Bart Stupak (D-Mi.), which would prohibit all human cloning, including the cloning of human embryos for research purposes. [Further information on the human cloning issue is posted here: www.nrlc.org/killing_embryos/index.html ]

NRLC also applauds President Bush's rejection of the rationing of lifesaving medical care, a form of involuntary euthanasia. The President also expressed support for the right of older Americans to choose their own doctors. By a 62%-34% margin, Americans agree with National Right to Life that Medicare should allow older people to add their own money to government Medicare payments in order to get unrationed, unmanaged health insurance, according to a nationwide Wirthlin poll taken in December. The pro-life movement will be deeply involved in the debate over Medicare restructuring.

National Right to Life is the nation's largest pro-life organization, with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect those threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia.

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