[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 80 (Thursday, May 31, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E916]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PRENATAL NONDISCRIMINATION ACT (PRENDA) OF 2012

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                               speech of

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 30, 2012

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to H.R. 3541--Prenatal 
Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012, because it is a backdoor 
attempt at reversing decades of precedent established by Roe v. Wade. I 
have always believed that a woman's right to choose is a constitutional 
right. And personal decisions, such as deciding whether or not to have 
an abortion, should involve a woman, her family and her faith. If an 
abortion is a personal decision, the government should not interfere.
  The passage of the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act presents would put 
the onerous on health care providers in deterring the intent of the 
woman seeking an abortion. The legislation would create a civil cause 
of action for an injunction that could take months to resolve, leaving 
the woman with limited options. Most egregiously, the legislation 
would, for the first time in almost forty years, allow the government 
to legislate this personal decision in the first trimester of 
pregnancy. It is clear that the ultimate goal of this legislation is an 
outright ban on abortion services. For these reasons, I oppose this 
legislation and urge my colleagues to stand with women and against the 
Republican continuous attacks on their rights.

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