PHILADELPHIA - The Republican Party platform committee yesterday rejected a proposal to remove the antiabortion plank, then refused to adopt proposed new language saying that the GOP respects the views of abortion rights advocates.
The action left embattled abortion rights advocates with only two options: they can try to muster support for adoption of a minority report that would call for support of abortion, or they can try to bring the measure to the convention floor with the support of six state delegations.
In a series of votes that appeared to confuse some of the 107 members of the platform committee, the panel briefly adopted language for the abortion plank that states: ''We welcome people on all sides of this complex issue.'' But when some abortion opponents said the vote was confusing and that similar but more general language is already in the platform, the measure was defeated on a second vote.
''It was nice to be welcomed into the party for about 10 minutes,'' said Ann Stone of Republicans for Choice after the two votes were recorded. Stone, who early in the day all but vowed to take the matter to the floor, sounded less certain last night, saying a floor fight was an option. She said she would try to round up support for a minority report, which would require the signatures of one-fourth of the platform members.
Acting by voice vote, the panel, dominated by conservative members, overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to have the party remain silent on abortion. By doing so, the committee was following the wishes of the nominee-in-waiting, George W. Bush, who has said the antiabortion plank's call for a ''Human Life Amendment'' to the Constitution should remain unchanged. While the Human Life Amendment is not defined in the platform, most versions of it allow abortion only when the life of the mother is at stake. Bush, by contrast, supports exceptions for rape and incest as well as to save the life of the mother .
Abortion rights advocates tried in several ways to win some measure of support. At one point earlier in the day, they asked a subcommittee to approve language that said the party ''recognizes and respects'' the views of those who favor abortion rights. But the measure was rejected 10-3 by the subcommittee and was later defeated by the full committee.
Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin, chairman of the platform committee, expressed shock yesterday after being informed that the abortion rights activists might try to take the issue to the floor. If a majority of the delegates in six states agree, any issue may be brought to the floor against the wishes of the party leadership. While such a step would be difficult, abortion rights activists said they might have enough votes.
''If that happens, then I won't have done my job,'' said Thompson, who is under strict orders from the Bush campaign to avoid a public fight on abortion, especially one that might erupt on the floor and interrupt the party's carefully planned unity message. The Thompson forces might, however, support the issuance of a minority report in order to avoid a floor fight. The possibility of such a fight remained unclear last night.
The platform committee, and the subcommittee that took up the issue earlier, were designed by GOP leaders to be dominated by antiabortion activists, many of whom made clear they would brook no compromise on the issue.
But Toni Casey of Los Altos Hills, Calif., decided to try. She proposed deleting the abortion language, urging her colleagues on the subcommittee to stay silent on an issue ''that divides us.''
Casey urged the delegates to adopt language recognizing that some Republicans disagree about abortion.
''Why would any of you object to recognizing there are diverse views?'' Casey said. ''This platform does not even reflect the position of our candidate, George W. Bush.''
But Representative Henry Hyde of Illinois, who is well known for his antiabortion views, led the fight against the proposal.
''I think we should affirm that there are no insignificant members of the human family, even though they are tiny and out of sight,'' Hyde said during the meeting of the full platform committee.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
