Jim Sensenbrenner: “I yield myself the time given to me in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, first, both sections of the bill do…”

“I yield myself the time given to me in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, first, both sections of the bill do provide an exception for incest, and all of the arguments that have been made to the contrary are simply not correct. Furthermore, this amendment should be defeated because it would codify the circumvention of parental involvement when the overwhelming majority of Americans support parental involvement. In some polls, over 80 percent of the public supports parental involvement. As recently as March 2005, 75 percent of over 1,500 registered voters surveyed favored requiring parental notification before a minor gets an abortion, and only 18 percent opposed parental notification. {time} 1745 Under current law, grandparents and clergy do not have the authority to authorize a medical procedure for a minor child, or even ear piercings or the dispensing of aspirin at schools. So why should such a fundamental parental right be thrown aside for the abortion procedure alone? This amendment would sever the essential parent-child relationship. Grandparents and undefined clergy are not parents. It is that simple.…”