By Peter Cohn, CongressDaily
© National Journal Group Inc.
Friday, May 4, 2007

President Bush Thursday warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., he would veto any legislation that reaches his desk seeking to overturn federal anti-abortion statutes.

	The appropriations process has typically been fertile ground for abortion-related riders.

Bush's letter comes as the House prepares to begin the FY08 appropriations process, which will see probable attempts by the Democratic majority to attach abortion-rights riders to spending bills.

"I believe it is the most basic duty of government to guard the innocent. With that in mind, I will veto any legislation that weakens current federal policies and laws on abortion, or that encourages the destruction of human life at any stage," Bush wrote to Pelosi.

The appropriations process has typically been fertile ground for abortion-related riders. The Labor-HHS bill for 30 years has carried language in one form or another blocking Medicaid funds from being used for abortions, for example.

Known as the "Hyde amendment" after former Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., its present iteration exempts cases of rape, incest or when a mother's life is in danger.

Another likely battleground is the Foreign Operations bill, which is likely to see efforts to overturn a regulation prohibiting federal funds to family-planning organizations that perform abortions.

House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., has introduced legislation to overturn the so-called Mexico City Policy, named after the 1984 conference where it was first announced.

Former President Bill Clinton watered it down to ensure U.S. funds could flow to family planning groups provided they do not use those funds to perform abortions. Bush reinstated the original restrictions in 2001, stipulating that no funding would be permitted for international organizations that perform abortions or related services even with non-U.S. funds.

Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said Thursday that Democrats would certainly seek to overturn statutes such as the Mexico City Policy, despite the veto threats.

"This is the third veto threat this week," he said, referring to Bush's veto of the Iraq war supplemental as well as the hate crimes legislation that passed the House Thursday. "It just shows that he's really out of touch with the values of the American people."

Democrats are unlikely to have the votes to override a presidential veto of any abortion rights-related legislation, however. On March 30, 155 House Republicans led by Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and Rep. Christopher Smith of New Jersey wrote to Bush pledging to sustain a veto. Boehner praised Bush's letter Thursday.

"The president has pledged to veto any legislation that contains pro-abortion or other anti-life measures that weaken current policy or regulations, and House Republicans stand ready to support him," Boehner said in a statement.

Daly said House Democrats were not going to be bullied by Bush on any of the issues he has issued a veto threat over. "He's trying to intimidate us and we're not going to be intimidated by him. We want to work with him but he has to be able to work with us as well," he said.