James Barcia: “I rise today as the Democratic Chair of the Pro-Life Caucus, to express my strong support for the Unborn Victims of…”

“I rise today as the Democratic Chair of the Pro-Life Caucus, to express my strong support for the Unborn Victims of Violence Act and to dispel some of the myths we've heard about it from those who are opposed to this commonsense, anticrime legislation. In recent years, 28 States have passed laws similar to the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, allowing criminals who assault pregnant mothers to be prosecuted for injuring or murdering the unborn child during the attack. Unfortunately, under current Federal law, the criminal faces no such consequences. We have all heard the tragic stories told here today, stories of brutal assaults on pregnant mothers which resulted in the deaths of their unborn children. These violent acts went unprosecuted and unpunished. For the sake of these women and their unborn children, Congress must correct this oversight in Federal law and pass the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. It is pro-woman, pro-child, and anti-criminal. This bill and its goal seem pretty straightforward. How could anyone oppose it? After all, every Member of this body wants to protect women and children, and punish criminals. Well, Mr. Speaker, it appears that we have a simple misunderstanding about what this bill actually does and I want to take a moment to set the record straight.”