Friday, September 29, 2006
NAF Communications Department
202-667-5881
press@prochoice.org
Saporta: This bill would have put our most vulnerable teens at risk. We applaud the Senators who recognized that this legislation should not be rushed through the Senate.
Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation (NAF), released the following statement following the Senate vote, which defeated the cloture motion to proceed with a vote on The Teen Endangerment Act (S. 403):
Late Friday evening, pro-choice Senators prevented the Teen Endangerment Act and its new provisions from coming to the Senate Floor. We are grateful that Senators realized the complexity and far-reaching effects of this legislation and the necessity for a full and fair debate.
This latest version of the Teen Endangerment Act would have threatened the welfare of teens by isolating them from trusted friends and relatives and creating delays and burdens that could endanger their health. This legislation would have also imposed onerous restrictions upon doctors who would have been subjected to civil and criminal penalties for providing necessary health care to teens.
In most instances, parents know about a teen's decision to terminate a pregnancy. Unfortunately, parental involvement is not a realistic option for many teens who are in dysfunctional and abusive family situations. Family communications cannot be legislated. This bill would have put our most vulnerable teens at risk. We applaud the Senators who recognized that this legislation should not be rushed through the Senate.
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The National Abortion Federation (NAF) is the professional association of abortion providers in the United States and Canada. Our mission is to ensure safe, legal, and accessible abortion care to promote health and justice for women. Our members include health care professionals at clinics, doctors' offices, and hospitals, who together care for more than half the women in both countries who choose abortion each year. For more information, visit our website at www.prochoice.org
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