[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 44 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E587]]
                      CHILD CUSTODY PROTECTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 17, 2002

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong concerns 
about H.R. 476. I held the same concerns when I voted against this 
legislation during the 106th Congress, as did many of my colleagues in 
the House and Senate. No effort has been made to address the valid 
problems with this bill in the nearly three years since we last took it 
up on the House floor.
  This restrictive legislation would isolate a young woman at a time 
when she needs support the most. I absolutely believe that young women 
should involve parents in important life decisions. In fact, most young 
women do involve a parent when making a decision about abortion, 
however, that option is not always available. Incest, abuse and other 
serious family problems are a sobering reality for many in our country. 
In that case, a young woman should be encouraged to consult another 
trusted adult, such as another family member, a medical provider or a 
religious counselor--this bill makes that virtually impossible and even 
criminal.
  Under this bill, grandparents, older siblings, religious leaders, and 
other responsible adults could face prosecution, imprisonment, fines, 
or civil suits for coming to the aid of a young woman during her time 
of need. The true absurdity of this legislation can be summed up in 
this astonishing example: A father molests his young daughter and the 
young woman goes to her grandmother for help. Should the young woman 
obtain an abortion in another state, this bill could give the father 
standing to sue in a civil court and could make the grandmother liable 
for $100,000 in damages and a year in prison.
  In addition, this bill is dangerously overbroad. The law would apply 
to anyone having peripheral involvement in the minor's abortion, even 
if the person was not acquainted with the bill's legal provisions or 
even aware of the minor crossing state lines.
  I supported a Motion to Recommit that would have sent this flawed 
bill back to the committee with the recommendation that the legislation 
exempt grandparents and adult siblings from the bill. This Motion would 
have provided young women with at least a minimal safety net of family 
members. It failed by a vote of 173-246.
  Mr. Speaker, I will continue to oppose legislation that will endanger 
young women's lives and health by isolating those who cannot involve a 
parent. We should encourage young women to turn to other family members 
when they cannot turn to their parents, and Congress has no business 
criminalizing that.

                          ____________________