As we in Congress prepared this legislation to protect parents' rights, we heard from a mother whose daughter was the victim of exactly this reckless endangerment. Only later did she find out her daughter was pregnant after being date raped. Her attacker's mother took her across state lines for an abortion, to avoid state parental consent laws, and after the surgery left the vulnerable young girl 30 miles from her home to fend for herself. Today there is no law on the books making this woman's action a crime, even though, she robbed a mother of her rights to protect her child and she placed a young girl in emotional and physical danger. We are making this a crime, because it is unacceptable that any parent in America experience this tragedy.
Every parent has the right to counsel, comfort and protect their children.
In passing the Child Custody Protection Act, this House voted to punish those who selfishly evade the law and endanger a child's health. Just as we've pursued sexual predators who prey on children through the Internet and cracked down on drug dealers who corner our children at school, we must punish those who put our daughters in physical danger simply because they won't take responsibility for the pregnancies they create. Our children must be protected so they can flourish.