April 14, 1992 PRESIDENT BUSH ON THE RIGHT TO LIFE +quot;Faith, family -- these are the va

April 14, 1992


               PRESIDENT BUSH ON THE RIGHT TO LIFE


     "Faith, family -- these are the values that sustain the
     greatest nation on Earth.  And to these values we must add the
     infinitely precious value of life itself.  Let me be clear: I
     support the right to life."

                                   President George Bush
                                   March 3, 1992

     "I am encouraged by the progress which has taken place.
     Attempts by Congress to expand further funding for abortions
     have been defeated, and the Supreme Court has taken welcome
     steps toward reversing its Roe v. Wade decision."

                                   President George Bush
                                   January 22, 1992


Summary:  President Bush Supports the Right to Life

President Bush understands that the subject of abortion is a
difficult, often painful one for most Americans.  The President
believes that every human life is a precious gift and each human
being has intrinsic dignity and worth.  While President Bush knows
that sincere persons may disagree, his position is that the lives
of both the mother and the child must be cherished and protected. 

President Bush has devoted much time and careful thought to this
issue over the years, and has not reached this decision easily or
lightly.  He is opposed to abortion except when the life of the
mother is threatened or when there has been rape or incest.  The
prevalence of abortion on demand in the United States stands in
stark contrast to our Nation's most deeply held values and beliefs. 
In addition, President Bush opposes the use of Federal funds to pay
for abortion except when the life of the mother is threatened. 


President Bush Opposes Use of Taxpayer Dollars to Fund Abortions

The subject of abortion is a deeply emotional, and a very personal,
issue for all Americans.  For government, it involves a decision
whether taxpayers should be required to pay for abortions, and if
so, under what circumstances.  Since 1981, under the Hyde Amendment
and several other legislative restrictions, the Federal Government
has refused to use taxpayer funds to pay for abortions, except when
the life of the mother would be endangered.

President Bush supports such restrictions on use of taxpayer funds,
and has vetoed five attempts by Congress to liberalize federal
abortion funding.  Congress has not overridden any of the
President's vetoes on this issue, which included the following
bills:

o    HR 2990:  Labor, HHS and Education Related Agencies
               Appropriations Act, FY 1990 (10/21/89)
o    HR 3026:  District of Columbia Appropriations, 1990
               (10/27/89)
o    HR 3610:  District of Columbia Appropriations, 1990
               (11/20/89)
o    HR 2669:  District of Columbia Appropriations, 1992 (pocket
               veto effective midnight 8/17/91)
o    HR 2707:  Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies
               Appropriations, 1992 (11/19/91).

Support for Family Planning and Reform of Title X Family Planning
Programs

Since his service in the House of Representatives, George Bush has
strongly supported family planning programs to assist low-income
persons.  His Administration has restored the integrity of Title X
by implementing regulations that will stop the use of federal
family planning funds for abortion-related activities.  These
regulations, which the Supreme Court found constitutional, are now
returning Title X to its original purpose:  providing services to
women who are not pregnant and referring for care those who are.

At the same time, the President has acted to ensure that women in
the Title X program receive complete medical information about her
condition from physicians.  He issued a Presidential Memorandum
reaffirming that these reform regulations do not inhibit the
confidentiality of doctor/patient relationships.  The
implementation guidance is consistent with that principle.


Promoting Alternatives to Abortion

George and Barbara Bush are the proud grandparents of adopted
children.  They energetically promote adoption, not just as an
alternative to abortion, but as a way of ennobling the lives and
enriching the futures of parents and children alike.

The President has committed federal support to help states
dismantle legal, financial, and attitudinal barriers to adoption. 
At his urging, federal agencies are assisting State and local
governments to remove obstacles to adoption.

To facilitate adoption of children with special needs, President
Bush has proposed to restore the special needs tax deduction to
help families meet the costs of these adoptions.  The President has
also proposed to double the deduction from its previous level, to
$3,000.

Research Using Fetal Tissue

The National Institutes of Health properly funds research involving
transplantation into humans of fetal tissue derived from
spontaneous abortions, ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, and cell
cultures.  The President supports that research, which may
contribute to medical breakthroughs against various diseases.

But the price for medical progress cannot be moral regress.  That's
why the President opposes federal funding of transplantation
research involving fetal tissue from deliberately-induced
abortions.  Such research could, either now or in the future,
encourage abortions, and it raises serious moral questions.

The "Freedom of Choice Act"

Certain members of Congress have introduced legislation to
establish in federal law a virtually unrestricted right to abortion
on demand.  This bill would severely limit the States' ability to
impose meaningful restrictions on abortions, even those late in
pregnancy and those sought for sex-selection.  It would also outlaw
24- or 48-hour waiting periods.  And, it would invalidate numerous
state laws providing for parental notification or consent when a
minor child seeks an abortion, even though the Supreme Court has
upheld such laws five times.

President Bush has strongly condemned this legislation.  He has
vowed to veto the bill if it ever passes the Congress.