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Pro-Life, Pro-Choice Protesters to Face Off
Aired January 22, 2003 - 13:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's still the hottest of the hot button issues 30 years after the Supreme Court legalized abortion. Demonstrations for and against on this anniversary, and the primary target in Washington is still the Supreme Court. A so-called "March for Life" is about to begin.
CNN's Kathleen Koch is covering it live -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, you know, as passionate as these protesters here are about this issue, the numbers do appear to be down somewhat this year. We don't know, of course, if it's because of the subfreezing temperatures here in Washington, or if it is perhaps the fact that things have changed this year. For the very first time since Roe v. Wade was passed back in 1973, Republicans control both the White House and Congress, and so there may be the perception out there among the anti-abortion forces that they have the momentum, that they don't have to come out in numbers to protest. Now, speakers have been appearing up here on the stage for about the last hour. One of the first, who spoke via a phone call, was President George Bush, calling from St. Louis, Missouri.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My hope is that the United States Congress will pass a bill this year banning partial birth abortion, which I will sign. Partial birth abortion is an abhorrent procedure that offends human dignity. I also urge the Congress to ban all human cloning. We must not create life to destroy life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Several lawmakers, too, have appeared on the stage, promising action to eliminate, if they can, all forms of abortion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. STEVE CHABOT (R), OHIO: Some of us in Congress have worked hard to stop abortion. But you know, for eight years the folks that were living in that nice white house behind us blocked us at every turn. But now those folks have moved on, and we pro-life Americans have got a friend living in that house, a friend who agrees with us that human life is sacred, and the rights of the unborn must be protected. God bless George Bush.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KOCH: Now, the most recent polls -- most recent polls do show that most Americans, a majority of Americans, support a woman's right to an abortion with some restrictions. And abortion supporters, those who do back abortion rights, insist that Democrats will fight any efforts to turn back the clock to the days when a back ally abortion was a woman's only option.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARBARA MILULSKI (D), MARYLAND: The Bush administration is already whittling away at the spirit of Roe. There's a war against contraception. There's a war against birth control. There's a war against women. Whether we're -- he is attacking international family planning by reinstituting the global gag rule, or appointing women to the Women's Health Advisory Committee, who are absolutely opposed to Roe v. Wade...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, from here, protesters will march to the Supreme Court, where a rally is underway right now by abortion rights protesters. The organizers here say that the march up there, as will any potential confrontations, will remain peaceful -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Kathleen Koch live there, right in front of the Supreme Court -- thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 22, 2003 - 13:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's still the hottest of the hot button issues 30 years after the Supreme Court legalized abortion. Demonstrations for and against on this anniversary, and the primary target in Washington is still the Supreme Court. A so-called "March for Life" is about to begin.
CNN's Kathleen Koch is covering it live -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, you know, as passionate as these protesters here are about this issue, the numbers do appear to be down somewhat this year. We don't know, of course, if it's because of the subfreezing temperatures here in Washington, or if it is perhaps the fact that things have changed this year. For the very first time since Roe v. Wade was passed back in 1973, Republicans control both the White House and Congress, and so there may be the perception out there among the anti-abortion forces that they have the momentum, that they don't have to come out in numbers to protest. Now, speakers have been appearing up here on the stage for about the last hour. One of the first, who spoke via a phone call, was President George Bush, calling from St. Louis, Missouri.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My hope is that the United States Congress will pass a bill this year banning partial birth abortion, which I will sign. Partial birth abortion is an abhorrent procedure that offends human dignity. I also urge the Congress to ban all human cloning. We must not create life to destroy life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Several lawmakers, too, have appeared on the stage, promising action to eliminate, if they can, all forms of abortion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. STEVE CHABOT (R), OHIO: Some of us in Congress have worked hard to stop abortion. But you know, for eight years the folks that were living in that nice white house behind us blocked us at every turn. But now those folks have moved on, and we pro-life Americans have got a friend living in that house, a friend who agrees with us that human life is sacred, and the rights of the unborn must be protected. God bless George Bush.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KOCH: Now, the most recent polls -- most recent polls do show that most Americans, a majority of Americans, support a woman's right to an abortion with some restrictions. And abortion supporters, those who do back abortion rights, insist that Democrats will fight any efforts to turn back the clock to the days when a back ally abortion was a woman's only option.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARBARA MILULSKI (D), MARYLAND: The Bush administration is already whittling away at the spirit of Roe. There's a war against contraception. There's a war against birth control. There's a war against women. Whether we're -- he is attacking international family planning by reinstituting the global gag rule, or appointing women to the Women's Health Advisory Committee, who are absolutely opposed to Roe v. Wade...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, from here, protesters will march to the Supreme Court, where a rally is underway right now by abortion rights protesters. The organizers here say that the march up there, as will any potential confrontations, will remain peaceful -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Kathleen Koch live there, right in front of the Supreme Court -- thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
