Supreme Court Supports Late-Term Abortion Ban

The Supreme Court voted today to uphold a ban on partial birth abortions, handing a significant victory to President Bush, whose appointees to the high court voted with the 5-4 majority. The 2003 law, which bars a controversial late-term procedure, is the first federal restriction on abortion since the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

Voting to uphold the ban were Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing for herself, Stephen Breyer, David Souter, and John Paul Stevens, called the ruling on the law, which makes no exception for the health of the mother, "alarming." (More abortion stories.)