[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 16, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  PARALLEL BETWEEN ABORTION CLINIC ACCESS BILL AND DICTATORSHIPS SEEN

  (Mr. SMITH of New Jersey asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I sincerely apologize in 
advance for any hardship or inconvenience to Members as a result of the 
numerous recorded votes I intend to ask for on Thursday should the 
House consider sending the abortion clinic access bill to conference.
  The gross unfairness and injustice of H.R. 796 demands your immediate 
and careful attention. I implore you to more fully appreciate and 
analyze the consequences of certain language contained in the bill.
  I truly believe that the harsh, mean-spirited punishments prescribed 
by the bill for acts of nonviolent civil disobedience--the staple of 
the civil rights movement--parallel those sweeping, draconian edicts 
used to quell dissent in dictatorships.
  Just getting in the way peacefully, or just attempting to get in the 
way--will result in first 1, then if you do it again, 3 years in jail, 
and massive fines and punitive damages.
  Li Peng and Vladimir Zhirinovsky would absolutely love this bill.
  But do not just take my word for it.
  Here's all that is required under H.R. 796 to turn a peaceful, 
nonviolent protestor into a Federal felon:

       Whoever--by physical obstruction . . . interferes with any 
     person, or attempts to do so, because that person or any 
     other class of persons is obtaining or providing reproductive 
     health services . . . shall be punished . . . (1) in the case 
     of a first offense, be fined [up to $100,000] or imprisoned 
     not more than 1 year, or both and; (2) in the case of a 
     second or subsequent offense after a prior conviction . . . 
     be fined [up to $250,000] or imprisoned not more than 3 
     years, or both.

  Under the facade of getting tough on those few fanatics who bomb 
abortion mills or use violence--actions that I absolutely detest and 
agree need stiff penalties--my substitute last November got tough on 
violent protestors--the House is poised to stack the deck against 
peaceful pro-life activists so as to make them prey--an easy mark--for 
ruinous criminal prosecution and civil suits.
  Congress should reject this legislation. It is time to go back to the 
drawing board--and draft a statute that makes violence against abortion 
providers and pro-lifers a Federal crime.

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