[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11359]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       PROTECTING UNBORN VICTIMS

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
Unborn Victims of Violence Act, also known as Lacy and Connor's Law. We 
have all seen the news stories about Lacy Peterson and her unborn son. 
As a physician who has delivered over 3,000 babies, I am an advocated 
of this legislation. Enacting this law would help to protect many who 
are unable to defend themselves in any way, the unborn sons and 
daughters of mothers who are victims of trauma.
  This bill establishes legal consequences if an unborn child is killed 
or injured as a result of an act of violence against the mother. 
Further, it allows the prosecutors to charge the perpetrators with a 
second offense for the assault on the baby. And unfortunately, in my 
clinical practice I have seen cases of injury to the unborn child where 
no prosecution was deemed possible because of the absence of such 
protection. Federal law recognizes only one victim, the mother, when a 
pregnant woman is attacked and an unborn child is injured or killed. 
But 26 States have enacted laws to recognize unborn victims of at least 
some violent crime during some or all of the period of prenatal 
development.
  This bill would extend protection to unborn children where none 
currently exists. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
need to pass this important legislation in support of those who cannot 
help themselves, the unborn victims of violence.

                          ____________________