S. 146, the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act" would create penalties for anyone who causes injury or death to a fetus, embryo or zygote in the process of committing a federal crime, separate from any penalties assessed for the actual assault on the woman. The House passed the bill on February 26th, after narrowly rejecting an amendment that would have increased penalties for attacks on pregnant women without endangering Roe v. Wade.
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Not a single provision of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act addresses the underlying problem of violence against women. That's why the National Network to End Domestic Violence opposes this bill--because it does nothing to help women who are victims of violence.
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When pressed, the bill's supporters admit that UVVA is a political ploy. "They say it undermines abortion rights. It does. But that's irrelevant," Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) told CNN. If the bill were truly designed to protect women, its cosponsors would have a record of supporting measures like the Violence Against Women Act. Instead, they have a history of opposing a woman's right to choose.
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The bill would set a dangerous legal precedent by establishing in law that an ?unborn child? is an individual separate from a woman, and elevating its status above that of a woman--a legal concept that could be used to overturn Roe v. Wade. The legislation makes no distinction between a fetus that is nine months old and a zygote that is two hours old and has yet to split into more than two cells. |
Information in this email is taken from an e-newsletter provided by the National Abortion Federation 03/18/04.
Visit actions@prochoice.org for information on who to call, where to send your letters, and other actions you can take to voice your support of choice!