House Passes Anti-Abortion Legislation Endangering Teen Health
[From NOW]
House Passes Anti-Abortion Legislation Endangering Teen Health
“By passing this deceptive legislation, the House took another step toward final passage of a law that will endanger a women’s health and safety,” said NOW President Kim Gandy. “It is not for anyone else but the woman and her doctor to decide how or when she should get an abortion.”
In a 250 to 157 vote, the House passed a teen endangerment bill which restricts a young woman’s ability to obtain an abortion outside of the home state by punishing any adult who accompanies her, even if the closest city is across state lines.
“This is an ill-advised and dangerous bill designed to prevent young women from seeking a legal medical procedure in an accessible and affordable location, particularly if her own state designed insurmountable barriers to her reproductive health care,” Gandy said.
The law will subject young women, abortion providers and others who assist the women to a confusing maze of overlapping and conflicting state and federal laws, which will make it more difficult and more dangerous for young women to obtain abortions. Additionally, there is no exception for a medical emergency unless she has complied with her home state’s parental involvement laws.
“Young women - especially those who are victims of family violence or incest - need to be able to involve an older sister, aunt, grandmother or minister in this decision, and they must be allowed to help,” Gandy said. “For these women, involving a parent in their decision to obtain an abortion is out of the question. To apply this kind of burden will cause more young women to seek unsafe methods for terminating their pregnancies.”
“This bill must be stopped. Anyone who is really concerned about protecting the health of our young women must contact their senators at once,” Gandy said.
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[From PPRI]
Langevin FAILS to HELP young women
Tell Representative Langevin that his disappointing vote supporting CIANA won’t go unnoticed!
Please call Representative Langevin at 202-225-2735 or you can send him an email at http://www.house.gov/langevin/comments.html
Representative Kennedy once again did the right thing and voted against this dangerous and unconstitutional bill!
Please let Representative Kennedy know that you support his “NO” VOTE by calling him at 202-225-4911 or you can email him at http://www.house.gov/writerep/
The House of Representatives passed the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA) on April 27th, which jeopardizes teens across the nation, by a vote of 270 to 157. Representative Langevin voted — against the majority of Democrats — for this bill.
Read the bill (HR 748): http://thomas.loc.gov
CIANA is unconstitutional: It contains no health exception to either the waiting period or the notification requirements and it lacks an exemption that would allow teens to pursue a judicial bypass.
The law also violates basic principles of federalism by imposing a federal parental notification requirement on the 27 states that have made public policy judgments to the contrary.