House passes bill to block executions of pregnant women

From CNN Capitol Hill Producer Ted Barrett

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A pregnant woman, sentenced to death by a state, could not be executed until after giving birth if a bill passed unanimously Tuesday by the House of Representatives ever becomes law.

The bill, entitled the "Innocent Child Protection Act" expands a current ban on such executions by the federal government and many individual state governments.

Pushed by Republicans, but passing the House by a vote of 417-0, the bill was triggered by a recent question on the issue to Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore who said it would be up to the condemned women to decide to postpone her execution until she gives birth.

"The principle of a woman's right to choose governs in that case," the vice president said recently.

GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush, whose home state of Texas already bans executions of pregnant women, said he did not think the sentence should be carried out "because there's a second life involved."

The bill may be more about abortion rights politics than practical concerns as the National Right to Life Committee, which lobbied for passage of the bill, said it is not aware of any executions of pregnant women being carried out in the United States.