Joe Crowley: “I rise in support of the Scott amendment and in opposition to H.R. 748. I commend the work of my colleagues, the…”

“I rise in support of the Scott amendment and in opposition to H.R. 748. I commend the work of my colleagues, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter) and the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette) in the work on this bill as well. Here we go again. The party that talks about States rights is stepping on the rights of States. The party that talks about family values wants to put Grandma and Aunt Jane in jail. Supporters of this bill argue that it will help reduce the number of abortions in this country or protect the health and well-being of our Nation's youth and families. But while these types of bills may look good for politics for some, they make very bad policy for all. It is sad that the U.S. has the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the western civilized world, and I think everyone here agrees that we should take steps to counter that. That is why we should support programs that improve the health of our young people, improve communication among families, prevent teen pregnancy and reduce the number of abortions. Fortunately, these programs like those under Title X do exist. Unfortunately, these programs are not what we are focusing on here today. Congress should work to find common ground on real solutions to problems of unintended pregnancies and abortions. Funding for programs like Title X is one way to reduce abortions. Passage of H.R. 748 is not, and I urge a ``no'' vote.”