[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 137 (Monday, December 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H10919]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                WELDON ANTI-WOMAN PROVISION IN H.R. 4818

  (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks and include therein 
extraneous material.)
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my outrage about a 
dangerous antiwoman provision that is in this omnibus bill. I know that 
is not going to be changed, but I do want all women in America to know 
what is coming for them.
  Let us say a woman is the unfortunate victim of a partial spontaneous 
abortion. Under the law that has been passed now in the United States, 
that woman may not go to the hospital and have that completed unless 
the hospital wants to do so. Presently, the law requires that a woman 
be taken care of; but even if a woman's life is at stake, even if she 
is going to die, the hospital does not have to do it.
  Now, what happens if the hospital does it in defiance of what this 
law says? They then put into jeopardy every cent of money they bring in 
from the Labor-HHS bill, which would include all their State Children's 
Health Insurance money, all their Head Start money, all their child 
care development block grant money, all social services money, and 
perhaps all senior nutrition programs. This is really draconian when it 
comes to saving a woman's life.
  States will not be allowed anymore to require an HMO that is 
participating in Medicaid to either cover abortions for a rape victim 
or tell them that they are eligible to get services and where to get 
it. What a step backwards for the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, I am submitting for the Record an article from today's 
Washington Times announcing what is yet to come.

               [From the Washington Times, Dec. 6, 2004]

                 Pro-Lifers Set Sights on New Congress

                             (By Amy Fagan)

       The pro-life movement, which helped pass several 
     initiatives in the 108th Congress, thinks Republican gains in 
     the Senate will aid the chances for bills to enforce state 
     parental notification laws and to alert pregnant women about 
     fetal pain.
       ``There is enough of a shift that we think bills such as 
     these two . . . have a real chance,'' said Douglas Johnson, 
     legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee.
       The Senate has been the biggest blockade to pro-life bills. 
     Republican pickups in this year's election mean the chamber 
     will have about three additional pro-life votes come January, 
     Mr. Johnson said.
       He said he hopes the defeat of Senate Minority Leader Tom 
     Daschle, South Dakota Democrat, might make some pro-choice 
     senators ``who marched in lock step with the abortion lobby . 
     . . less inclined to get out on thin ice'' in blocking 
     abortion restrictions.
       Both sides of the abortion debate are anticipating a 
     Supreme Court vacancy, particularly after deteriorating 
     health has forced Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist to miss 
     several sessions.
       Mr. Johnson said a battle over any Supreme Court nominee 
     would take top priority for his group.
       Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion 
     Federation, also said a Supreme Court vacancy would be a 
     ``huge priority'' for her side. She promised a ``tremendous 
     fight'' over any nominee who would ``turn back the clock'' on 
     abortion or other rights.
       Until that fight erupts, however, the pro-life lobby will 
     focus on other legislation.
       One priority, introduced as a bill for the first time in 
     May, would require doctors to tell women seeking abortions 
     after 20 weeks about the capacity of the fetus to feel pain 
     and offer the option of pain-reducing drugs.
       The fetal-pain issue garnered interest during a federal 
     court case in New York, in which the government was defending 
     the federal ban on late-term partial-birth abortions. The 
     judge in that case said the defense presented ``credible 
     evidence'' that a fetus feels pain.
       Mr. Johnson said there is growing support for the fetal 
     pain bill in the House, and he hopes it can pass both 
     chambers this term.
       A bill returning to the scene next session would make it a 
     federal crime to circumvent a state's parental-notification 
     law by transporting a pregnant teen across the state line for 
     an abortion without parental involvement.
       The measure passed the House three times but stalled in the 
     Senate.
       Miss Saporta said the fetal-pain bill is ``part of their 
     campaign to separate the fetus from the woman.''
       Although the teen-transport bill likely will be introduced 
     in both chambers, she said, passage would ``put the most 
     vulnerable teens at risk'' by forcing those in dangerous 
     family situations to involve their parents in abortion 
     decisions and by making other family members criminals if 
     they intervene.
       Connie Mackey, vice president for government affairs for 
     the Family Research Council, said her group also will push a 
     ban on cloning human embryos for any purpose.
       The legislation stalled last session, but House and Senate 
     sponsors plan to bring back their bills next session. ``We 
     will be working hard'' to pass them, Mrs. Mackey said.
       She said her group will fight for more federal funding for 
     adult stem-cell research, as a more promising alternative to 
     embryonic stem-cell research. Pro-life lawmakers also are 
     considering proposals to regulate abortion clinics and ban or 
     limit RU-486, a home drug treatment that induces an abortion.
       Miss Saporta said she also suspects conservative lawmakers 
     will try to ban or limit RU-486 but predicted they will fail.
       ``It will be somewhat easier for anti-choice forces to pass 
     further restrictions on abortion, but they won't be 
     successful in all of their initiatives,'' she said.

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