House of Representatives - April 26, 2005

Parents deserve the right to know

Mr. Speaker, 

A woman from my district came to Washington last month to tell Congress about how her daughter was taken to New Jersey for an abortion without her knowledge. This mom knew about her 14-year-old daughter's pregnancy. Her daughter had chosen to keep the baby and was attending prenatal classes.

But the boyfriend's family, according to her testimony, "planned, paid for, coerced, harassed, and threatened her into having an abortion. They left her alone during the abortion and went to eat lunch."

About 80 percent of the public favors parental notification laws. Over 30 States have enacted such laws. As in the case of my constituent, these laws are often evaded by interstate transportation of minors, and it is often openly encouraged in advertising by abortion providers.

This week, the House will consider legislation that merely says that in States that protect a parent's right to know, taking a young girl across State lines will not keep the parent in the dark. The bill would make it a Federal offense to transport a minor across State lines to circumvent that State's abortion parental notification laws. In addition, the bill requires that in a State without parental notification, abortion providers are required to notify a parent.

I urge support of the bill.