[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 43 (Wednesday, April 13, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H1943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                ABORTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, in a country that espouses the 
importance of protecting the inherent rights of every person, abortion 
denies the rights of our most innocent and vulnerable members, our 
children.
  As legislators, we have the great responsibility to strive to uphold 
the truths upon which our great country was founded, especially that 
every individual is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of 
happiness.
  Abortion is not a sign that women are ``free to choose.'' It is a 
sign that women have been abandoned.

                              {time}  1730

  They have not had the support and care that they so desperately need. 
Rather, abortion is the only option offered.
  Abortion is one of the greatest scourges of our time. It is a sign 
that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than 
abortion. It is a crime against humanity which not only takes the 
innocent life of a child but also profoundly alters the life of the 
mother. Women possess dignity and intrinsic beauty, and abortion tears 
them apart at the very core of their being.
  I am proud to have had the opportunity to join with such dynamic pro-
life women as Patricia Heaton, the costar of the TV show Everybody 
Loves Raymond. She is an outspoken advocate for women and for the 
protection of the rights of the unborn. This past week, I met with 
Patricia while she was in Washington meeting with Members of Congress 
and staff members discussing the crucial need that we have as a society 
to strive to address the real challenges facing pregnant women and 
promoting women-centered solutions to significantly reduce abortion and 
protect women's health.
  I am pleased to be associated with organizations that work to 
increase public awareness of the devastation that abortion brings to 
women, men and their families. These organizations ensure that the 
emotional and physical pain of abortion will no longer be shrouded in 
secrecy and silence but rather exposed and healed.
  This past year, the pro-life movement has enjoyed many major 
victories in Congress. We have seen the passage of legislation 
protecting the sanctity of life and addressing the critical needs of 
women. The Partial Birth Abortion Ban was signed into law by President 
Bush. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act also passed the House.
  I have worked together with my colleagues here in Congress and with 
President Bush to defend the intrinsic rights of all citizens, 
especially the most defenseless. I am pleased to note that today the 
House Committee on the Judiciary held a markup of my bill, H.R. 748, 
the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, CIANA. It was referred 
favorably as amended out of committee by a 20 to 13 margin and should 
be brought to the floor for a vote soon.
  This critical legislation makes it a Federal offense to knowingly 
transport a minor across a State line with the intent that she obtain 
an abortion in circumvention of a State's parental consent or parental 
notification law. CIANA also requires that a parent or, if necessary, a 
legal guardian be notified pursuant to a default Federal parental 
notification rule when a minor crosses State lines to obtain an 
abortion, unless one of several carefully drawn exceptions is met.
  A minor who is forbidden to drink alcohol, to stay past a certain 
hour or to get her ears pierced without parental consent is certainly 
not prepared to make a life-altering, hazardous and potentially fatal 
decision such as obtaining an abortion without the consultation or the 
consent of at least one parent.
  My legislation will close a loophole that allows adults not only to 
help minors break State laws by obtaining an abortion without parental 
consent but is also, unfortunately, contributing to ending the life of 
an innocent child. We will close that loophole.
  I am hopeful that in this 109th session of Congress we will be 
successful in securing the rights of parents once and for all, and I 
encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.
  We have a great responsibility as a Nation to maintain a true 
reverence for vulnerable human life and to continue to build a culture 
of life. I will continue to work to ensure that the precious gift of 
life and the dignity of womanhood are promoted and protected at every 
level.

                          ____________________