Protect Abortion Access Across State Lines for Minors

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, 

I would like to urge you to oppose bill H.R. 803, the proposed amendment to title 18, United States Code, to prohibit taking minors across state lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions. I, as well as the men and women who have signed this petition, feel vary strongly in opposition to this bill. H.R. 803 will only cause further harm to our young women, regardless of the intentions of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida's 27th district (sponsor to bill H.R.803), or its co-sponsors.  

The decision to terminate a pregnancy is difficult and deeply personal for all women; but the decision of whom to trust with this information can be even more difficult and personal. These are not decisions politicians should be making for other people. We do not know the situations surrounding the pregnancies of these young women, why they are choosing an abortion over other options, or why they don't feel safe telling their parents. For a minor to feel so strongly about seeking an abortion without parental consent or notification that she would spend the time and money to travel out of state speaks to a very serious situation at home that neither of us could possibly know or understand. It may not be safe for her to tell her parents for many reasons, including but not at all limited to rape, incest, or domestic abuse.

To deprive women, no matter their age, of safe and confidintial medical care is nothing short of devastating to their health, safety, and well-being. To punish an adult - who may very well be the only person over the age of 18 whom she feels she can trust- who is doing nothing more than providing help through transporstion to someone in need, is just as devastating and only compounds the agony these women are experiencing.

This bill, H.R. 803, would make it a crime to provide transportation to a minor across state lines when the minor is attempting to obtain a legal medical procedure in a state with fewer regulations restricting her rights. This bill also makes it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion if the minor resides in a state with parental consent laws. The Republican party has been nothing if not a strong defender of states rights, fewer regulations that interfere with the private affairs of our citizens, and open and free interstate commerce. Seeking medical care in a different state constitutes interstate commerce, to prohibit women in one state from seeking medical care in a different state is effectively overruling the other state's laws, and to make a law prohibiting transportation to different states for completely legal purposes is to apply an unnecessary Federal regulation that interferes with the private and personal lives of our citizens. 

Bill H.R. 803, despite any well meaning intentions, is not appropriate for the citizens or the individual states which make up The United States of America. I once again would like to urge you to oppose bill H.R. 803. 

Thank you for your time and consideration,