King Urges Colleagues to Support Parental Involvement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Congressman Steve King (IA-05) today took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to urge his colleagues to return to parents the right to make decisions affecting their own children. The House tonight passed The Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA), to make it a federal crime to transport a minor across state lines in order to circumvent a state law requiring parental involvement in a minor's abortion decision.
Following is the text of King's remarks:
Mr. Speaker,
I rise today in support of the Child Custody Protection Act, because it returns the fundamental right of parenting back where it belongs - to parents.
Eight in ten Americans favor parental notification laws. Forty-four states have recognized the important role of parents in a minor girl's decision to have an abortion by enacting parental involvement statutes. Even so, many of these laws are being circumvented by individuals who simply transport girls across state lines to another state without parental notification laws. All too often, these individuals are grown men who have sexually preyed on underage girls and use abortions to cover up their crimes.
The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that a parent's right to control the care of their children is among the most fundamental of all liberty interests. The Supreme Court has consistently recognized that parents have a legal right to be involved in their minor daughter's decision to seek medical care, including abortion.
The Supreme Court has also observed that "the medical, emotional, and psychological consequences of an abortion are serious and can be lasting," and that "it seems unlikely that the minor will obtain adequate counsel and support from the attending physician at an abortion clinic, where abortions for pregnant minors frequently take place." The Supreme Court has also stated that "minors often lack the experience, perspective, and judgment to recognize and avoid choices that could be detrimental to them."
No one has a child's best interests at heart more than their parents. Minors have to have parental permission to be given an aspirin by the school nurse. Twenty-six states have laws requiring parental consent before minors can get body piercings or tattoos. Parents must be able to play a role when their minor daughter is contemplating such an important life decision as what to do with an unplanned pregnancy.
Please join me in supporting the Child Custody Protection Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
