Charles T. Canady: “I am struck, as I listen to the debate here today, by the fact that the opponents of this bill really are here…”

“I am struck, as I listen to the debate here today, by the fact that the opponents of this bill really are here expressing opposition to the acts of State legislatures. They are here, in effect, expressing opposition to the decisions of the Supreme Court. Because it is the State legislatures that have passed the parental involvement laws that we are seeking to help them enforce, and it is the Supreme Court of the United States which has upheld, under the Constitution, the validity of these parental involvement laws. So the arguments that we are hearing time and time again that are being urged on us as reasons for not supporting this bill are really arguments that are aimed at the Supreme Court of the United States and of the State legislatures which have seen fit to adopt constitutional valid parental involvement laws. Now, I think it is also somewhat ironic that we keep hearing about the health of young girls.”