If abortion was so wrong, why didn't Bush's Republican Congress do anything about it?

Question

Someone just asked this question in their response to a question I posed, and I thought it deserved a little more attention, because it's a good point.

During the first portion of Bush's Presidency, he was "blessed" with a Republican-Controlled Congress. Since abortion is murder and should be made illegal, and since Congress is the lawmaking body in this country... why didn't they do anything about it while they had the majority?

And please don't say they didn't do it because they were afraid of what liberals would do. True bravery is doing what's right regardless of the consequences, even the consequences from those big scary liberals.

So what about it, conservatives? What happened? Why wasn't MURDER outlawed while you controlled Congress?

SDD: Since when do you need a Constitutional amendment to overturn a judicial ruling??? The states never HAD the authority to govern this issue; that's the whole foundation of Roe v. Wade. Roe didn't turn abortion into an issue governed by the federal government; it states that it cannot Constitutionally be governed, period.

The amendment would have to be to give the government authority it does not currently have, not to overturn a court decision.

Philip: One flaw in your logic. If you have not yet been born, you are not yet a citizen. There are two ways to be a citizen of the United States: to be BORN here, or to be naturalized, which a fetus cannot do. Fetuses are not citizens, whether you think they're actual people, or you don't. By the Constitution, they are not citizens.

Answer 1

They can rant, but maybe they too realize that it is not the government's place to tell a woman what to do with her body.

Answer 2

Bush appointed constitutionalist judges, including Justices Roberts and Alito. There have not been enough vacancies on the Spureme Court to change the law - yet.

Also, Bush has appointed many judges to lower federal courts.

And the Democrats have done a great deal to block the approval of Bush's judges by the Senate, including the virtually unprecedented use of the filibuster in this area. Clearly the Democrats thought the Republicans were doing something in this area, otherwise they would not have fought so hard.

Answer 3

Because the Supreme Court falsely determined that abortion is protected by the Constitution, The Congress can do nothing except amend it and that is a long process. Personally I think the answer is to educate people to abstain, be responsible and actually show them the results of their decisions whether it is stats on suicide rates, depression or actual footage of partial birth abortions, show them what the reality is and they will decide to behave differently- this is preferred to banning abortion- laws can make actions illegal but if you want to make real change, you have to change peoples hearts and minds

Answer 4

To quote you, " he was "blessed" with a Republican-Controlled Congress", and up until this very moment we're still reaping the benefits of his blessing??

Soldiers loosing their lives day-in, day-out, we're paying $3/Gal for fuel....what a joyous blessing "Bush" turned out to be...

As for the killing of the innocent...well we should not blame any president for this, "this is the child of the "Supreme Court", and the unscrupulous, bastard lawyers that sell their offspring for a buck...

I don't see the Killing of innocent children stopping anytime soon, and no president that wants to stay in office or be elected, or re-elected will ever take up the banner for justice for all...

I elected to edit my response based on the rest of the posted comments I read here...

American people in general are quite narrow of mind, Democrat and Republican alike...
why can't you just take off those ******* blinders off and see the problems...we are Americans...

Democrats, Republicans, and those that are "other" they all commit abortions, the children they are killing have not and will never have the opportunity to decide if they are Democrats or Republicans and that is the real issue! this issue should be about human life...
not a bout what colors you wear...

Answer 5

Look at all the repubs blaming liberals. How can repubs even take themselves seriously when they call for a law to protect what is not yet a person but after the baby is born turn their backs and deny it basic health care and a good education. You would think they would want the child smart, healthy and strong so they can send them to war the minute they turn 18.

Answer 6

You are right--its a good question. But to answer it, we need to broaden the focus. congress--and the Bush administration--also made a greatdeal of noise about "illegal immigrants" and "securing our borders"--but didn't actually DO anything.

These two (abortion ad immigration) are examples of the "wedge issues" (along with things like wanting to outlaw burning the flag, gay marriage, etc.) that the neoconservatives have turned into faux-issues that are in fact, very effective in motivating and manipulating their "base"of the religious right. That block of voters was-up to 2006, effective in enabling the neoconservatives to hijack the GOP and rise to power.

Now--as to why they don't actually take action to "solve" these "problems." The answer is simple: it is NOT to the advantage ofthe neoconservative leadership to resolve these issues. Quite the opposite--as long as these can be put forward as issues that are a supposed "threat to the moral, social or economic fiber of America" they can use them to manipulate that block of voters.

They have these people--who, are generally not well-educated-well indoctrinated. But these issues serve as the bit and bridle to control tem. "Solve" the issue of abortion--or any of the rest--and the right-wing political elite sacrifice their means of control over their followers. As I said, that is hardly in their interest.

Answer 7

Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress are not necessarily Conservatives. And they fear losing a future election and lose their ideals to the stagnation of compromise.

I agree with you. Congress should have tried to outlaw murder and let the Dems official take a stand for it.

Now, with the Supreme Court leaning conservative, I'm waiting for the abortion case to go before it. When the Supreme Court rules it unconstitutional to kill an unborn citizen, you will have to have Congress pass an amendment legalizing the killing of fetuses. It will not "be up to the states." States can't allow things that the Supreme Court has ruled unconstitutional.

Show me where it is defined that a fetus does not count as a citizen. Otherwise, any law keeping the mother from aborting an eight and a half month fetus is unconstitutional.

Answer 8

To return the question to the states as it was before Roe v Wade would require a constitutional amendment. You're not goign to get two-thirds of the states to approve such an amendment. It would have been a futile gesture.

Answer 9

Because the US supreme court has ruled that it is legal, that simple. Until Roe V Wade is overturned, any attempt at legislation against it would be useless.

Answer 10

Most likely, because everyone knew that any bill passed that specifically outlawed all abortions would have been ruled un-constitutional by the Supreme Court.

Answer 11

If Republicans didnt have the supposed moral high ground they couldnt win any election right now.

Without the fight over abortion they would be stuck with even flimsier ways of being morally superior.