[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 23, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5532-S5533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             UNBORN VICTIMS

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize a group of 
people who are often overlooked--the unborn. Recently, the House has 
passed legislation that would protect this defenseless group from 
violent attacks. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2001 would make 
it a crime to assault or murder an unborn child.
  Recently, I have come across several compelling stories that show the 
importance of this legislation. One such story is of Tracy Marcinlak of 
Wisconsin. On February 8, 1992, Tracy was pregnant with her son, 
Zachariah, who was due to be born in four days. That night, Tracy's 
husband, Glendale Black, brutally beat her and refused to let her get 
help. Eventually relenting, her husband let her call an ambulance and 
Tracy was rushed to the hospital. Little Zachariah was delivered by an 
emergency Caesarean section. It was too late. He had bled to death from 
blunt-force trauma.
  Unfortunately, in 1992, Wisconsin did not have an unborn victims law 
and state prosecutors were unable to convict Tracy's husband under a 
law that required them to prove that he intended to kill Zachariah. He 
was only convicted of assaulting Tracy. Glendale

[[Page S5533]]

Black, who murdered his own son, is already eligible for parole.
  In response to violent acts such as this, the Wisconsin legislature 
passed one of the nation's strongest unborn victims laws in 1998. 
However, even today, there is no federal law to prosecute criminals who 
kill unborn children. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2001 would 
correct this injustice. Under this law, people like Glendale Black, who 
kill their unborn children, will be prosecuted in the same manner as if 
they had murdered someone who is already born.
  I applaud my colleagues in the House for passing this important 
legislation as it will give unborn children a fundamental right--the 
right to live. Many of our forefathers fought and died to make this a 
basic right for all Americans. Today, the fight continues. I hope my 
colleagues in the Senate will join me in this fight and vote yes to the 
Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2001.

                          ____________________