Reps. Zoe Lofgren on Opposing the House GOP's Anti-Women's Health & Reproductive Rights Bill Sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks
Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) delivered the following statement on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives opposing H.R. 1797, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) who claimed during a House Judiciary Committee hearing that "The incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low." Rep. Lofgren was asked by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to manage the minority's floor debate opposing the anti-women's health and reproductive rights bill:
Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill.
This will be the 10th vote we've had to restrict women's access to health care since Republicans took control of the House in 2011, and there are plenty of other things we should be doing.
This bill imposes a nationwide 20-week abortion ban. It is unconstitutional, and it is dangerous to the health and safety of American women.
The narrow health exception in H.R. 1797 — which only allows for abortions that are necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman — is shortsighted at best and cruel at worst.
Many things can go wrong in pregnancy, and this bill would force a doctor to wait until a woman's condition was life-threatening before performing an abortion.
Non life-threatening conditions couldn't be treated if this bill were law, which could result in permanent health problems for some women, including infertility.
Severe or fatal conditions may also arise for the fetus later in a pregnancy, and if enacted into law, this bill would require some women to carry a fetus to term, even in a situation where that fetus has been diagnosed with a lethal medical condition — a heartbreaking scenario.
The rape and incest exceptions are insulting and excessively narrow.
The rape and incest exceptions that were added to the bill after the Committee's markup are just incredibly disappointing. They require reporting the crime to law enforcement prior to seeking care. It shows a distrust of women, and a lack of understanding of the reality of sexual assaults.
Only 35 percent of women report sexual assaults, and there are many reasons that are complex, including fear of reprisal — 78% of rape victims know their offender — shame, and wanting to put the incident behind them.
Also, this bill is unconstitutional. It's a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade when the Court held that prior to viability, abortions may be banned only if there are meaningful exceptions to protect a woman's life and health.
And for over four decades, these principles have been upheld and this bill blatantly disregards them.
Finally, I want to urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. It's an attack on women's health and on our Constitutional freedoms. It seeks to take important medical decisions out of the hands of women, their doctors, and their families, and instead entrust those decisions to Congress.
It's a misguided effort. I oppose this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Click here for video of Rep. Lofgren's floor statement.
