Louise Slaughter: “violence against women and children and all of humanity should never be tolerated. Bold, effective steps should be taken…”

“violence against women and children and all of humanity should never be tolerated. Bold, effective steps should be taken to reduce violence against women, children, and men, and particularly pregnant women. But H.R. 1997 is not about women, and it is not about children. It is about politics. It is an attempt to drive a wedge between women and their constitutional rights. For decades, the constitutional right to privacy, which protects women and their reproductive rights, has endured attack after attack. This bill is another deliberate strike at reproductive freedom and choice and is part of a nationwide strategy to overturn Roe v. Wade or to so undermine a woman's right to choose that it becomes meaningless in practice. The issue of violence against pregnant women is used to cloak the intent and the impact of this bill. Pregnant women are being used as pawns in an elaborate chess game to deny women self-determination and their constitutional rights. The agenda is unmistakable. It has been clearly articulated by opponents of reproductive rights.”