[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1968]
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. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2006

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Child 
Custody Protection Act. The text of the bill that we are considering is 
quite similar to the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, which 
the House considered in April of last year and I opposed. It is yet 
again another attempt by Congress to try to interfere in the personal 
health decisions of young women.
  The question of whether or not to have an abortion is one of the most 
difficult decisions any woman can face. Some issues cannot be 
legislated and I believe that this is one of them. Reproductive health 
care is a personal matter that should be left to individuals, their 
doctors, and their families without interference from the government.
  This bill will force mature young adults who have sought help from 
individuals other than their parents--including grandparents, aunts, 
uncles, older siblings and clergy members--to act alone in a time when 
loving support is needed. I believe that adolescents should be 
encouraged to seek their parents' advice and counsel when facing a 
difficult decision. However, the government cannot mandate healthy 
family communication where it does not already exist. We need to 
encourage our youth to seek the counsel of individuals that they do 
trust and that will advocate for their best interests and not encourage 
them to go through this difficult process and draining procedure alone.
  Not only does this bill discourage our youth from seeking adult 
counsel, this bill will also put the health of young women in jeopardy. 
A provision of this bill seeks to delay the abortion process by 
demanding that doctors go through a detailed and complex scheme to 
notify a parent. Doctors who do not comply and conduct an abortion 
before this notification will face fines and federal criminal 
penalties.
  I would guess that my colleagues on both sides of this issue agree 
that having an abortion should be the last option for an adolescent. 
But it is a reality that young women are going to continue to have to 
make life-altering decisions regarding their bodies regardless of 
restrictions the federal government places on them. Taking away the 
support of responsible adults in whom teens trust is not the way to 
stop abortions.
  I have consistently opposed legislation of this type because I want 
to make sure that we protect young women who are facing unintended 
pregnancies by providing them with assistance from adults they trust. I 
certainly prefer an open dialogue between parents and teens, so that a 
hushed, last-minute decision is not necessary. Unfortunately, parental 
consent is not always a viable option and teens will still make 
decisions that are difficult for any woman regardless of age. By 
passing this legislation, we will force trusted adults to turn their 
backs on their nieces, sisters and granddaughters and we will also be 
turning our back to the young women of this Nation.
  Instead of debating a measure that will impose federal punishments on 
family members and doctors who assist young women who are making 
difficult choices and considering another measure that attempts to fix 
a symptom, we should be having a constructive dialogue that gets at the 
root of this issue.
  This bill is an injustice to young women across this Nation who need 
all the support that they can get. I urge my colleagues to vote against 
this legislation because it will severely harm young women at one of 
the most important times in their lives.

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