[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21515]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       ULTRASOUND SURVEY RESULTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor to talk about my 
bill H.R. 195, which is the Informed Choice Act. The results of a 
recent survey commissioned by Care Net of 802 female registered voters 
nationwide unequivocally demonstrate that women coast to coast, and 
from all walks of life, agree that providing ultrasound technology for 
women's health centers is an important and worthwhile cause. It is 
clear that these women view ultrasound as an essential resource for 
women who are faced with unplanned pregnancies and the related decision 
to either terminate or to continue that pregnancy.
  Nearly nine in 10, 87 percent of women, said it is important for 
nonprofit women's health centers to provide ultrasound services, 
including a considerable majority, 64 percent, who believe this is a 
very important priority.
  A majority of female registered voters believe that women facing 
crisis pregnancies would benefit from having access to ultrasound. Over 
half, 51 percent of those surveyed, said that women who are considering 
abortions should have access to ultrasound consistent with the rest of 
the prior to finalizing their decisions. In contrast, just 31 percent 
claim that seeing an image of what is inside would make such a decision 
more difficult.
  Mr. Speaker, it is clearly the belief of these women that ultrasound 
provides understanding, not uncertainty. It is with this new 
information in mind that I remind my colleagues about my bill, H.R. 
195, ``The Informed Choice Act.'' I have introduced this legislation 
authorizing HHS to establish grants for which nonprofit health clinics 
could apply and, if awarded, purchase the needed ultrasound equipment. 
Many uninsured women are prohibited from finding the health care they 
need because the free health clinics to which they have access are 
unable to provide medical services because of the lack of funds to 
purchase such medical equipment. The mother is, therefore, forced to 
wander from one clinic to another in search of the services that she so 
desperately needs. Enabling these health clinics to purchase ultrasound 
equipment would be a persuasive push in the direction of transitioning 
from a health clinic to a medical facility.
  The advantages of ultrasound are many. It is fast and relatively 
cheap, costing about $50 per exam. Ultrasound exams are performed at 
about 10 to 14 weeks of the pregnancy and are considered the best way 
to gauge growth before birth. Ultrasound can diagnose heart problems in 
the unborn child, find neural tube defects including spina bifida, and 
determine the position of the placenta. There is even now an ultrasound 
piece of equipment that can provide a 3-D image that can rotate 360 
degrees to see all sides of the baby.
  My legislation will ensure that doctors can provide critical 
information to mothers in the decision-making process regarding their 
pregnancies. Nothing in my bill makes ideology regarding abortion a 
condition for the grant. Whether a center offers abortion or abortion 
alternatives, the clinic is eligible so long as it meets the criteria 
set forth in the bill.
  In the controversy today over abortion in America, emotionally 
charged rhetoric clouds the issue and does damage, I think, to the 
efforts made on behalf of mother and child. No matter one's conviction 
concerning abortion, we can all agree that the mother deserves as much 
information as is available in making this solemn decision. Information 
is the best weapon in diffusing the volatile discussion and returning 
us to our first concern, which is the health of the mother and child. 
The ultrasound equipment is a valuable tool in expanding the debate 
beyond traditional platitudes on both sides of the argument.
  Modern medicine has provided us with a window into the womb. These 
advances in technology empower women with as much information as 
possible regarding their pregnancy. The goal of my legislation is to 
provide women who find themselves with an unplanned pregnancy with the 
full scope of information such that they may finally make an informed 
choice.
  This bill is about the dissemination of information. The bill is 
about extending more free services to women and about making available 
this vital technology to the very poor women as well as to the rich.
  So in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, there are times when people of good 
faith who differ on an issue can come together and find a place to 
agree. I believe my legislation, H.R. 195, brings us beyond the shrill 
arguments regarding abortion and makes a meaningful effort to care for 
the mother and the child.

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