[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 54 (Thursday, April 28, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CHILD INTERSTATE ABORTION NOTIFICATION ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. BILL SHUSTER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 27, 2005

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to applaud the House for the passage 
of H.R. 748, the Child Interstate Notification Act, sponsored by my 
colleague from Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. This 
important legislation prohibits the transportation of a minor across 
state lines to obtain an abortion for the sole purpose of avoiding 
parental consent laws.
  It is a tragedy to deny parents the ability to consult with their 
child at the most critical time. It is a parent who can provide the 
emotional and psychological support that their daughter will need. 
Additionally, parents know their daughter's medical history. They know 
any allergies that she may have to certain medications or anesthesia. 
In an era when a child must seek parental consent to receive aspirin 
from school officials, it seems reasonable to aspect that a child seek 
that same consent to obtain a major medical procedure.
  Mr. Speaker, I come from a state that requires parental notification. 
Yet out of state clinics are constantly trying to circumvent our 
parental notification laws. It is not an uncommon practice for clinics 
in New Jersey, a state without parental notification laws, to advertise 
in Pennsylvania phone books. In fact, these clinics will go as far as 
to highlight the fact that they will perform abortions without parental 
notification. The passage of the Child Interstate Notification Act will 
effectively put an end to this atrocious practice.
  Also, it should be noted that in no way does passage H.R. 748 
interfere with or supercede existing state law. This bill simply deals 
with the interstate transporting of minors. As a parent of two 
children, I appreciate that the passage of this legislation will ensure 
that children will not be transported across state lines to circumvent 
state law.

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