Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Bush said on Wednesday that he was pleased with the Supreme Court ruling upholding a ban on partial-birth abortions that he signed into law in 2003. Bush's signature was a departure from former President Bill Clinton, who vetoed bans on partial-birth abortion and drew the ire of the pro-life movement.

"I am pleased that the Supreme Court upheld a law that prohibits the abhorrent procedure of partial-birth abortion," the president said in a statement LifeNews.com received from the White House.

He said he appreciated that the nation's high court allowed legislatures to make law on important issues like abortion rather than creating it from the bench.

"Today's decision affirms that the Constitution does not stand in the way of the people's representatives enacting laws reflecting the compassion and humanity of America," he said. Bush pointed out that "an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress passed" the bill.

The partial-birth abortion ban is a part of the numerous pro-life actions the president has taken during his tenure saying it "represents a commitment to building a culture of life in America."

"The Supreme Court's decision is an affirmation of the progress we have made over the past six years in protecting human dignity and upholding the sanctity of life," the president concluded.

"We will continue to work for the day when every child is welcomed in life and protected in law."

The Bush administration strongly defend the abortion ban in courts after the president signed it. Federal courts ruled the ban unconstitutional based on an older Supreme Court decision but the high court reversed itself Wednesday.