House OKs Bill Toughening Abortion Consent - Yahoo! News
Chip, chip, chipping away at Roe vs. Wade. More Republican intrusion into your personal life.
WASHINGTON - After an easy House victory, the latest push to curb abortions moves to the Senate where Republican gains increase the likelihood of making it harder for minors to cross state lines to end pregnancies without telling a parent.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., intends to bring such a bill to a vote this summer as one of his top 10 legislative priorities, according to spokeswoman Amy Call.
If enacted, it would be the fifth law passed to reduce abortions since President Bush took office in 2001.
And yet, abortions have increased under Bush. Curious, that. Guess that abstinence education doesn't work after all.
No one knows how many minors cross state lines for abortions to circumvent laws in their home states requiring parental consent. But like many who oppose abortion rights, Frist told reporters this week that that there's more at stake than the number of abortions prevented.
"No matter how few people it affects, it's an important bill on the principles," said Frist, a Tennessee Republican and doctor who is considering seeking his party's presidential nomination in 2008.
Abortion rights advocates say the bill would cut off an escape route for pregnant girls and make criminals of the relatives, friends and doctors who try to help them.
"It certainly reflects a lack of compassion toward teens and in particular to their health," said Louise Melling of the American Civil Liberties Union. "It reflects a willingness of Congress to override or trump states' policy decisions."
The Senate is to consider a bill very similar to the measure approved by the House 270-157 Wednesday. The Senate bill would make it a federal crime punishable by a fine, jail time or both for an adult to take a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion in contravention of state parental notification requirements.
So instead of addressing the root of the problem, (economics, education, lack of access to birth control) let's create more criminals. Let's make kids resort to their own methods. That will work. Chip, chip, chip....