WASHINGTON – First District Congressman Paul Ryan voted today in favor of legislation that will help protect pregnant women and their unborn babies by correcting a deficiency in federal law. In addition, Ryan is a cosponsor of this bill and presided over the debate on this legislation on the House floor. This legislation – H.R. 503, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2001 – passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 252-172. Under this measure, individuals who commit an already defined federal crime of violence against a pregnant woman can be charged with a second offense on behalf of the second victim, the unborn child.

This legislation provides that when a criminal commits a violent federal crime against a pregnant woman and thereby injures or kills her unborn child, the perpetrator is guilty of the same offense that would have resulted had the same injury or death occurred to the unborn child's mother. Under current federal law, individuals who commit violent federal crimes against pregnant women receive no additional punishment for killing or injuring the woman's unborn child during the commission of the crime. Therefore, except in states that recognize unborn children as victims of such crimes, violent criminals receive no additional punishment for injuring or killing unborn children.

"When someone assaults a pregnant woman, harming both the woman and her baby, there are two victims. Federal law needs to recognize this, and the bill we passed today will do just that," Ryan said.  "Criminals who hurt mothers and their unborn children shouldn't be given a free pass for one of their victims. Although no legal action can remedy the physical and emotional damage that such horrendous acts of violence do to both the mother and her baby, I believe the bill we passed today can help deter acts of violence against pregnant women in the future."

Nearly half the states, including Wisconsin, already enforce criminal laws that recognize unborn children as separate victims. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act moves to correct this gap in federal law. (H.R. 503 applies to crimes committed under federal or U.S. military jurisdiction and does not affect state laws regarding crimes against pregnant women.)

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