Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act

Floor Speech

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3541, the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2012. This is a cynical bill under the guise of preventing sex selection which would undermine a woman's right to choose.
Clearly, sex-selective abortions are offensive and unacceptable. But this bill will only interfere with the doctor-patient relationship. Are doctors supposed to interrogate women to determine their motivation for seeking an abortion? What other means must doctors take to ensure that they are not imprisoned as a result of this bill? These threats will only impede open, honest communication between women and their providers and undermine the doctor-patient relationship. Some providers will be discouraged from offering any reproductive tests and services and as a result, women's access to access safe, legal health care will be jeopardized.

Mr. Speaker, if House Republicans truly wanted to protect women, then they would have allowed a vote on legislation to ensure the right of women to receive equal pay for equal work. Unfortunately they did not. It is for these reasons that I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 3541.

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