As a parent and legislator, I respect a parent's right to know about any procedure performed on their children, especially one as serious as abortion. Abortion is not a safe procedure for the mental health of a young woman and can cause serious problems with her physical health. Parents have to give their consent for routine medical examinations and other medical procedures, and abortion should not be treated differently.

Abortion clinics regularly advertise across state lines and encourage minors to avoid their state's parental consent laws. I am a co-sponsor of the Child Custody Protection Act, H.R. 476, which passed the House by a vote of 260-161 on April 17, 2002. This bill will make it illegal to take a child across state lines for an abortion in order to get around parental consent laws.

I am disappointed that H.R. 476 did not even come up before the full Senate for consideration last year. I look forward to fully supporting the Child Custody Protection Act when it is reintroduced in the 108th Congress. Parents have a right and a duty to know what?s going on in their child's life. I will always fight for legislation that protects the rights of parents and supports a healthy family life.