Capitol Journal - Abortion
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Capitol Journal - Abortion
DO NOT USE WETA logo, PBS funding credits
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Senator Orrin Hatch (R - Utah) I think we in Congress need to reaffirm our resolve that abortion should not a method of family planning.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Senator Lowell Weicker (R - Connecticut) They not only want to eliminate abortion, but also any knowledge of how one plans a family or how one avoids getting pregnant.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
In studio Capitol Journal host Hodding Carter introduces show on abortion legislation.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Title credit and animation
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Close ups of different people on the street giving their opinions on abortion
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Back in studio Hodding Carter gives a summary of the issue
Capitol Journal - Abortion
National Public Radio's Linda Wertheimer gives a report on abortion - opens with shot of Wertheimer on Capitol steps
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Various shots of a large Catholic church service. National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop speaks, The evil of abortion is not new to the Church or to this assembly. We have delt with it clearly and forcefully many times." Women protestors outside National Conference of Catholic Bishops carrying signs
Capitol Journal - Abortion
DO NOT USE Excerpt from CBS' "Cagney and Lacey" show dealing with abortion
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Burned abortion clinics in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Demonstrators from both sides of the abortion issue in Washington D.C. Pro-Life and Pro-Choice
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Linda Wertheimer back outside the Capitol
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Doug Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee talks about a Constitutional Ammendment to ban abortion. As you know, a Constitutional Ammendment requires a 2/3 vote in each House and of the state legislatures. We don t have 2/3 in either of the houses for a Constitutional Ammendment right now. That remains our ultmiate goal I think that the Supreme Court decision on abortion has never been so precarious. We feel that it s likely that in the not distant future it is likely that the decision will be overturned by the court itself.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
President Ronald Reagan with his Pro-life Supreme Court Justice Nominee Sandra Day O'Connor
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Meeting of Senators. Senator Orrin Hatch (R - Utah) condems abortion. I think we in Congress need to reaffirm our resolve that abortion should not a method of family planning.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Bill Hamilton, Planned Parenthood representative speaks about anti-abortion movement. I think what we have is an anti-abortion movement that has failed to achive its real intention. That is here we are 12, 13 years after the Supreme Court knocked down the abortion laws and abortion is still widely available and safe and legal. Having failed at that, and having really no prospect in the short run of obtaining that goal, they re sort of engaging in a form of gurellia warfare.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Doug Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee, We don t regard that these issues we are prusing in the Congress as perhipherial or symbolic issues. Prior to enactment of the Hyde Amendment, for example, the federal governement was paying for abortion on demand through the Medicaid program, 300,000 abortions a year. Now the federal government pays only for life of the mother abortions, abortions necessary to save the life of the mother, which amount to less than 300 a year.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Pro-Life demonstrators in Washington DC.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Excerpt from State of the Union. January 25, 1984. President Ronald Reagan, We should rise above bitterness and reproach, and if Americans could come together in a spirit of understanding and helping, then we could find positive solutions to the tragedy of abortion.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
DO NOT USE excerpt from a film entitled the "Silent Scream" in which a doctor in front of a ultra-sound (ultrasound) image of fetus explains the "silent scream" of the fetus
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Barbara Radford, head of the National Abortion Federation speaks about abortion. The anti-abortin forces in this country have become very active in terms of talking about what abortion procedures are like, who women are that have abortions, and frankly telling lies and decieving people about a lot of that. My organization as an organization of abortion providers has decided to go out across the country and talk to people in workshop formats like the one we are putting on today, about what abortion is. (Shots of people in a confrence room attending the workshop) What happens durign an abortion? How long does it take? What doteh instruments look like? What can a woman expect to feel, both during the procedure and before and after?
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Shot of bustling city sidewalk with statistic displayed of percentage of the American population in favor/against abortion
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Bill Hamilton, Planned Parenthood representative, People don t like it. People don t want an abortion clinic nextdoor. They don t want their daughters to have an abortion. They may think it s immoral. They may even think it s murder, some of them. But when all of that is said and done they still come down to the basic question, that is who is going to make the decisions. Is it going to be up to the individual humn beings to decide in the context of their own circumstance or is the governement going to make that decision. And nobody wants the governmetn to make it.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Shot of bustling city sidewalk
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Senator Lowell Weicker (R - Connecticut) comments on anti-abortion movement. I think they made progress, they made progress up until 1982. I think at that stage in the game, they reaches their high-water mark and went down hill ever since.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Senator Orrin Hatch (R - Utah), I think there is more and more rising resentment against what is really happening. As we learn more about the life of fetuses and we ve found that they become very much living, throbbing, human beings very early.
Capitol Journal - Abortion
Senator Lowell Weicker (R - Connecticut) I fully expect that the 1986 elections will continue the trend that you saw in the 84 elections when it comes to the Congress of the United States. And that trend is away from those who are anti-abortion, anti-choice.