Jane Harman: “Mr. Speaker, I have borne children. I have also suffered a miscarriage; and I would like to say to the gentleman (Mr.…”

“Mr. Speaker, I have borne children. I have also suffered a miscarriage; and I would like to say to the gentleman (Mr. Hyde) who just spoke before me who talked in terms of the Lofgren amendment dehumanizing the child, that the underlying bill dehumanizes the woman bearing the child, and I think that point needs to be noticed. We are talking about unborn children, and I take that very seriously. We are also talking about pregnant women who are bearing those fetuses that are about to become children. Mr. Speaker, I think attention must be paid to the mothers. I rise in support of the amendment offered today by my friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren), which creates a separate Federal criminal offense for harm to a pregnant woman and specifically punishes violence against her resulting in injury to or the termination of a pregnancy. If we are trying to protect pregnant women, let us protect them. Let us not insult the intelligence of women in this country by attacking their rights under the guise of protecting their unborn fetuses.”