Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012

Floor Speech

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to H.R. 3541--Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012, because it is a backdoor attempt at reversing decades of precedent established by Roe v. Wade. I have always believed that a woman's right to choose is a constitutional right. And personal decisions, such as deciding whether or not to have an abortion, should involve a woman, her family and her faith. If an abortion is a personal decision, the government should not interfere.

The passage of the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act presents would put the onerous on health care providers in deterring the intent of the woman seeking an abortion. The legislation would create a civil cause of action for an injunction that could take months to resolve, leaving the woman with limited options. Most egregiously, the legislation would, for the first time in almost forty years, allow the government to legislate this personal decision in the first trimester of pregnancy. It is clear that the ultimate goal of this legislation is an outright ban on abortion services. For these reasons, I oppose this legislation and urge my colleagues to stand with women and against the Republican continuous attacks on their rights.

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