BERKELEY, Calif. -- The Berkeley City Council has a pointed message for Democratic members of the U.S. House who voted to keep federal funds from being used to pay for abortions.
The governing body of this proudly liberal city on Wednesday sent a coat hanger and a letter to each of the 20 lawmakers urging them to reconsider any steps that would limit access to abortions. Abortion rights advocates use coat hangers as a symbol of the gruesome procedures some pregnant women resorted to before Roe v. Wade.
The City Council voted 8-1 to send the hangers, saying it hoped they would "emphasize the importance of this message."
Council member Gordon Wozniak dissented, saying he thought the graphic illustration was inappropriate and could backfire on the city.
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