Reid seeks change to bankruptcy bill

Wednesday, March 2, 2005 | 9:43 a.m.

SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Tuesday said Democrats are again pushing for legislation that would bar abortion clinic protesters from filing for bankruptcy.

Reid and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., plan to introduce the amendment as part of a debate in Congress this week over a bill to overhaul federal bankruptcy law.

Republicans, backed by credit card companies, have been pushing for eight years for legislation that would curb abuse of personal bankruptcy filings. Democrats also support some changes but oppose some portions of the bill under debate.

Among the Democratic amendments is the Schumer-Reid amendment, which has been a poison pill to the broader bankruptcy bill in past congressional efforts. President Bush opposes amendment language. Critics say the legislation does not belong in a bankruptcy bill.

The amendment is aimed at activists and protesters who break laws by blocking or vandalizing abortion clinics or other facilities, such as laboratories that conduct animal testing. The amendment would prohibit someone who broke such laws from filing bankruptcy to avoid judgments against them.

"The spin is that the Schumer-Reid amendment is an abortion amendment," Reid told reporters Tuesday. "It is not an abortion amendment. No matter how many times they say an abortion amendment should not be on bankruptcy, this is a bankruptcy amendment -- true, true, true bankruptcy amendment."