A recall vote against Wisconsin’s two Democratic U.S. senators who voted against a controversial late-term abortion ban has failed. Anti-abortion activists in Wisconsin fell some 50,000 votes short of the necessary 391,000 votes needed to force a recall against each senator, Sen. Russell Feingold and Sen. Herb Kohl. Both senators opposed a measure dubbed “the partial-birth abortion ban” by its supporters which would ban the D&X abortion procedure in all cases except to save the life of the woman but not her health. The ban passed the House by a wide veto-proof margin but fell three votes short of the two-thirds necessary to override an expected presidential veto.
Rep. Charles Canady (R-FL), the sponsor of the bill in the House, has said he favors delaying a second House vote until the Senate gains the needed 3 votes. The House must approve the amended version passed 64-36 by the Senate before the bill can be sent to President Clinton. However, Senate sponsor of the bill Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) said he did not favor an intentional delay but that budget, tax, and spending issues may force a delay.
