Archive for Thursday, September 25, 2008
Senate passes Brownback’s Down syndrome bill
September 25, 2008
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Washington — Doctors would have to give more comprehensive information to expectant mothers who receive a diagnosis of Down syndrome or other medical conditions under a measure approved by the Senate.
The bill, passed late Tuesday on a voice vote, is the product of an unusual partnership between Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, an anti-abortion Republican, and Sen. Edward Kennedy, an abortion-rights advocate from Massachusetts.
Brownback hopes the measure discourages women from terminating pregnancies if they test positive for Down syndrome or certain other conditions, such as spina bifida or cystic fibrosis. Between 80 percent and 90 percent of women who learn they are carrying a fetus with Down syndrome opt for an abortion.
The bill would require doctors to provide parents with the latest information about caring for children with disabilities as well as available support services and networks that can help parents unfamiliar with Down syndrome. Similar legislation is pending in the House.
"This bill will greatly benefit expecting parents who receive the sometimes overwhelming news that their unborn child may be born with a disability," Brownback said in a statement. "This legislation will provide parents with current and reliable information about the many options available for caring for children with disabilities."
Kennedy, a longtime advocate of the disabled and children with special needs, has said that access to support and information about the condition - and the quality of life for a child born with Down syndrome - can make a difference to women who face a difficult decision.
More like this
- U.S. Sens. Brownback, Kennedy collaborate on Down syndrome bill 32 comments / November 30, 2007
- Down syndrome counseling prompts bill calling for more positive support May 16, 2005
- Prenatal diagnoses raise moral dilemmas April 14, 2005
- Sebelius vetoes legislation to further regulate abortion 62 comments / April 23, 2009
- Brownback leading next abortion fight November 3, 2003
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25 September 2008
at 8:48 a.m.
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SettingTheRecordStraight (Anonymous) says…
Abortion is no more a right today than a southern in pre-emancipation America had the “right” to own another human being. Abortion is not a right; abortion is an abrogation of rights.
25 September 2008
at 11:06 a.m.
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Confrontation (Anonymous) says…
You can morally make any accusations you want, but abortion is still a legal right.
25 September 2008
at 11:22 a.m.
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SettingTheRecordStraight (Anonymous) says…
confrontation,You are correct. Abortion is a legal right in our screwed up society. But it is no more a moral right than slavery was or the crimes of the Holocaust were.
25 September 2008
at 2:33 p.m.
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Confrontation (Anonymous) says…
Based on your view of morality and abortion, of course.
25 September 2008
at 6:13 p.m.
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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…
“… Down syndrome or certain other conditions, such as spina bifida or cystic fibrosis. Between 80 percent and 90 percent of women who learn they are carrying a fetus with Down syndrome opt for an abortion.”How diminished, this human experience, without Helen, and Christy, and Stephen. Who can place a value on these expressions of humanity?Who can assess the value or validity of a soul's journey?
25 September 2008
at 11:10 p.m.
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davidnta (Anonymous) says…
While I think abortion should be talk through and be a family decision, I think it's ultimately a family decision to make.I don't want anyone to tell me or my family what they can and cannot do when it comes to intimate matters such as this.This is why I advocate a pro-choice position.