Issue Position: Abortion

Issue Position

Issue Position: Abortion

Human life is a gift and we, as a nation, should work to preserve it , rather than take it. In 1973, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that a woman's right to have an abortion is constitutionally protected. I strongly disagree with this ruling and unfortunately, since that time, many innocent lives have been lost. While Congress cannot outlaw abortion, we can certainly try to make it rare -- an objective that most Americans support. As a United States Senator, I have worked on many fronts to reduce abortions and the unwanted pregnancies that make abortions so prevalent in our society. In addition, I have been a longstanding proponent of funding for abstinence education, because I feel that it is clearly the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

I believe that it is a parent's job to protect and care for their children. I also believe wholeheartedly that parental involvement is essential before a child undergoes a major medical procedure, particularly when it includes making a decision as life changing as the choice to have an abortion.

Accordingly, I was a cosponsor of S. 403, the Child Custody Protection Act, which sought to make it a federal crime to transport a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion in order to circumvent the parental notification laws of the minor's home state.

On July 25, 2006, I voted in favor of S. 403, which the Senate passed by a vote of 65-34. The House also passed S. 403 with a substitute amendment by a vote of 264-153 on September 26, 2006. However, despite efforts to vote on the House-passed version of S. 403, a required procedural vote failed to obtain the votes necessary to bring the legislation up in the Senate during the 109th Congress.

On December 9, 2006, the 109th Congress adjourned. This adjournment marks the end of the 109th Congress and therefore, all legislation that failed to pass both chambers of Congress and receive the President's signature must be reintroduced in the 110th Congress that begins on January 4, 2007. Rest assured, I will keep your thoughts in mind should relevant legislation be introduced during the course of the 110th Congress.

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