[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                UNBORN CHILD PAIN AWARENESS ACT OF 2006

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                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2006

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition 
to H.R. 6099.
  H.R. 6099 is an extreme intrusion into the relationship between a 
woman and her doctor. Rather than improving informed consent as the 
authors claim, this legislation would put into federal law inflammatory 
rhetoric that has not been proven to be fact.
  In 2004 a federal district court found that there is ``no consensus 
of medical opinion'' on the issue of fetal pain. According to the 
Journal of the American Medical Association, it is highly improbable 
that a fetus could feel pain before the third trimester. In addition, 
studies conducted by JAMA on this issue showed that additional 
anesthesia, as is proposed in this bill, poses increased risk to a 
woman's health.
  Yet this bill would force health care providers to tell patients 
seeking an abortion that there is ``substantial evidence'' regarding 
fetal pain and force them to offer anesthesia for the fetus. It would 
also force the patient to sign a statement to prove she understood that 
information.
  H.R. 6099, if passed, would actually require a medical professional, 
under federal law, to give women inaccurate and potentially harmful 
information. This law makes no exceptions for individual patient 
circumstances or a doctor's judgment of medical necessity. And if a 
doctor does not provide this information, he or she will face civil 
sanctions.
  Our health care system--the best in the world by many measures--
depends on the quality of our health care providers and their ability 
to communicate with and care for their patients. It is outrageous for 
Congress to remove the discretion of doctors and instead, rely on 
politics to make medical decisions. This legislation is based on 
inaccurate information and political motivation and should be rejected.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing H.R. 6099 today and in 
working to improve health care for all Americans in the 110th Congress.




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