House Approves Abortion Limits

The Washington Times

By Amy Fagan

The House yesterday approved a bill that would make it a federal crime to skirt a state parental-notification law by taking a minor to another state to obtain an abortion without her parents’ involvement.

“We, as parents, have a right to know what is going on in our daughters’ lives,” said Rep. lleana Ros-Lehtinen, the Florida Republican who sponsored the bill, adding that it would “promote strong family ties” and “help foster respect for state laws.”

The bill passed by a 270-157 vote, with 54 Democrats joining 216 Republicans in voting for the proposal against 11 Republicans, 145 Democrats and one independent.

The Bush administration issued a statement saying it supports the bill, “which would protect the health and safety of minors.”

Democrats said Congress is intruding unfairly into family issues and said Republicans have not learned from their attempts to intervene in the case of a brain-damaged Florida woman.

“The people of this country don’t want the government intruding” in family disputes, said Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, New York Democrat.

A narrower version of the bill has passed the House three times but died in the Senate.

This year, Senate Republicans have made that narrower measure one of their top 10 priorities, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican, yesterday said he intends to bring it to the floor.

An aide said this likely will happen by the summer.

The main difference between the House-passed bill and the version the Senate will consider is that the House this year added a provision requiring doctors to give 24 hours’ notice to an out-of-state minor’s parents before performing an abortion.

Supporters expect Senate Democrats to create hurdles for the narrower Senate bill. A Senate Republican aide said party leaders recently tried to start negotiating with Democrats about timing and structure for bringing the bill to the floor, but Democrats rebuffed them.

Tessa Hafen, spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said no one has talked to Mr. Reid’s office about the bill and it is premature to say what Democrats will do.

Doug Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, said the measure probably will pass. He cited a Quinnipiac University poll last month that found 75 percent of the public favors parental notification before a minor can get an abortion.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, California Democrat, called the legislation “a put-your-grandmother-in-jail bill.”

Democrats argue that sometimes a girl cannot confide in violent or abusive parents and must seek help from a grandparent, sibling or pastor, any of whom could be subject to criminal charges under the bill if they transport her across state lines in circumvention of a home-state law requiring parental approval or parental notification.

Exceptions would be made if the girl’s life is in danger or if the adult reasonably thought the home-state law was followed.

House Democrats unsuccessfully tried to exempt taxicab drivers, bus drivers and medical personnel from the bill, but their amendment was defeated by a vote of 179-245. A second amendment to exempt grandparents and members of the clergy was defeated by a 177-252 vote.