Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: “faced with the many grave threats to the sanctity of life in the modern world, the value of life from its very beginning…”

“faced with the many grave threats to the sanctity of life in the modern world, the value of life from its very beginning must be affirmed, as must the right of every human being to have this primary good respected to the highest degree. As a mother, I feel duty-bound to speak out on behalf of those who have no voice, the innocent unborn child. Under Federal law, an individual who commits a Federal crime of violence against a pregnant woman receives no additional punishment for killing or injuring the woman's unborn child during the commission of that crime. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act would narrow this gap in the law and would provide greater protection for women from crimes of violence. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this important legislation this week and send it to the President for his signature.”