The religious conservative and pro-life groups have made blocking the Freedom of Choice Act one of their top priorities. FOCA, as its called, would potentially overturn state laws restricting abortion, and Barack Obama told Planned Parenthood during the campaign that he would sign the law.
Apparently, the pro-life groups can declare victory already.
According to the Wall Street Journal, women's groups submitted a list of top 15 priorities -- and the Freedom of Choice Act wasn't on the list. Given that supporters don't have the votes, and the law would alienate Obama's pro-life liberal supporters, it's extremely unlikely that Obama is going to put any muscle behind this right now. In all likelihood, FOCA is dead for the foreseeable future.
That won't necessarily stop pro-life groups from campaigning against it. Sometimes groups oppose ideas less because they have to and more because it's an issue that revs up their constituents.
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FOCA never made it out of the committee level. Obama cannot sign a bill that does not exist.
FOCA sites a history of different state cases that have reduced Roe vs Wade. One of the most important cases was a state that prevented an abortion even if the woman's life was in danger. The case may have been late term abortions.
Despite McCain's statement about a woman's life being in danger is pretext, there are very few late term abortions. It is difficult to imagine very many women having late term abortions without a medical reason.
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