(Washington, DC) – The American Center for Law and Justice, an international public interest law firm specializing in constitutional law, today applauded President Bush for signing into law a measure that bans partial-birth abortion. The signing triggers the beginning of a national legal battle to defend the constitutionality of the measure and the ACLJ said today it is poised to assist in defending the law.

“This day will go down in history as an important milestone in the cultural struggle to defend and protect human life,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. “This law eliminates one of the most horrendous and barbaric procedures in the medical world. There has been great care taken to ensure that the language of the law meets the concerns expressed by the U.S. Supreme Court when it considered the Nebraska case. The law is constitutionally sound and we’re hopeful it will survive the legal challenges which are already underway. We will work aggressively to assist the U.S. Department of Justice in defending this law as it makes its way through the courts and ultimately to the Supreme Court.”

In the days leading up to today’s signing ceremony pro-abortion groups went to federal district court in several cities filing lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the measure and asking that a temporary restraining order be issued to prevent the law from being enacted.

The American Center for Law and Justice is an international public interest law firm specializing in constitutional law and pro-life issues. The ACLJ is based in Washington, D.C. and its web site is www.aclj.org.