Russ Feingold: “I cannot support the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, CIANA. First, I object to the decision to bring this…”

“I cannot support the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, CIANA. First, I object to the decision to bring this bill directly to the floor, circumventing the Senate's committee process, and to prevent Senators from offering amendments. This bill contains provisions that have never been debated in the Senate not in committee, and not on the floor. Part of the bill we are considering today consists of the Child Custody Protection Act, which did pass the Senate earlier this year although without being considered in committee. But this bill also contains a number of additional troubling provisions that should go through the committee process. At a minimum, Senators should have an opportunity to offer amendments to legislation that could have such a serious impact on young women's lives. I voted against the Child Custody Protection Act when it came before the Senate in July because the bill is an overreach of federal power that comes at the expense of the health and safety of young women. The notion that one state may not impose its laws outside its territorial boundaries is a core federalist principle, and I believe this bill might very well violate the Constitution. States should retain their right to enact and implement appropriate policies within their territorial boundaries. The Child Custody Protection Act would preempt these rights by allowing the laws of certain states to essentially trump the laws in other states.”