Other Columns by Paul M. Weyrich
Paul M. Weyrich Bio

Printer-Friendly Version

Page 2 of 3

This awareness of the pain inflicted upon unborn children undergoing an abortion led Senator Brownback and Rep. Smith to introduce the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act in the last session. Rep. Smith, Chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus, urged his fellow House Members on May 20, 2004 to "Stop the denial and recognize the truth -- abortion is excruciatingly painful to unborn children."

The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act would require abortionists to verbally inform the mother that due to a finding by Congress that an unborn child can feel pain she has the option of having anesthesia administered directly to her child to reduce or eliminate the pain. The abortionists also would be required to provide a brochure that would describe the pain-reducing drugs.

Failure to comply with these simple provisions would either bring a suspension of the medical license, a civil penalty under $100,000, or both. A second offense would either bring about the loss of the medical license, a monetary fine less than $250,000, or both.

Unfortunately, this bill due to its late introduction was not considered in the last session of Congress. However, abortions continue and children continue being yanked from the wombs of their mothers by forceps inflicting painful, crushing blows. The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act at least would provide some of the protection to unborn children against pain that our society extends to cattle and other animals being slaughtered.

There has been a more concerted push over the last few years to pass the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act. (The current Senate version is called the Child Custody Protection Act.) The House had passed the Child Custody Protection Act three times, only to have it die in the Senate. Now the added numbers of pro-lifers in the Senate give this legislation a fighting chance for passage.

If your state has a law on its book requiring parental notification or consent for abortion, you have reason to be thankful. Such a law may not be able to stop teens from receiving an abortion but it at least makes sure the parent of a pregnant teenager knows what is happening. However, if you live next door to a state that does not require parental consent, the child could simply go across the state line and obtain an abortion, no question asked.

CIANA would make it a Federal offense to try evading a state's abortion notification laws by going across state lines to a state without the restrictions of parental consent or notification. In states without parental notification laws under CIANA the abortionist would still be required to notify a parent.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) is the sponsor of CIANA in the House and the bill was introduced with 105 original co-sponsors, a testament to the strength of the movement to ensure parents have a role in a crucial decision facing their child. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen explains the issue this way: "A minor who is forbidden to drink alcohol, to stay out past a certain hour, or to get her ears pierced, is certainly not prepared to make a life-altering, hazardous and potentially fatal decision, such as abortion, without the consultation or consent or at least one parent."

>> Continued -- Page 1 2 3