Bishops' Official Hails House Passage Of Bill Requiring That Parents Be Notified Before A Teen's Abortion
WASHINGTON (April 28, 2005) -– Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote of 270-157 passed the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, H.R. 748. The bill, sponsored by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl.), protects minor girls from being taking across state lines for secret abortions without their parents' knowledge, and prevents abortionists from doing abortions on out-of-state teens in the absence of parental involvement or judicial authorization.
"Yesterday's vote affirms the proposition that parents should be involved in abortion decisions affecting their teenage daughters -- even when their daughters are taken across state lines," said Cathy Cleaver Ruse, Esq., Director of Planning and Information for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. "Abortion advocates have lost another round against a common-sense measure supported by most Americans."
"The practice of taking teens across state lines for secret abortions strikes at the heart of the family and the rights of parents," said Ruse. "But more than that, it presents a grave danger to the girls who are subjected to an invasive surgical procedure without their medical history or records, and with no medical follow-up or intervention."
The next stop for the bill is the U.S. Senate, which in the past has failed to take action on this type of legislation. This Senate sponsor for the bill is Senator John Ensign (R-Nv.). "We call upon the Senate to listen to the American people and pass this important bill," said Ruse.