John Ensign: “I rise to discuss the Child Custody Protection Act which will protect the rights of our Nation's parents and their…”

“I rise to discuss the Child Custody Protection Act which will protect the rights of our Nation's parents and their children's well-being. Speaking as a father of three young children, including a daughter, I understand how difficult the challenge of raising children can be. In most schools across the country, our children cannot go on a field trip, take part in school activities, or participate in sex education without a signed permission slip. An underage child cannot even receive mild medication such as aspirin unless the school nurse has a signed release form. Some States even require parental permission to use indoor tanning beds. Nothing, however, prevents this same child from being taken across State lines in direct disobedience of State laws for the purpose of undergoing a surgical, life-altering abortion. The bill before us, the Child Custody Protection Act, makes it a Federal offense to knowingly transport a minor across a State line for the purpose of an abortion in order to circumvent a State's parental consent or notification law. It specifies that neither the minor transported nor her parent may be prosecuted for a violation of this act. It is important to note that this legislation does not supersede, override, or in any way alter existing State parental involvement laws. It does not impose any Federal parental notice or consent requirement on any State that does not already have a parental involvement law in place.…”