Senate Bill S.91

[Sam]

Senate Bill S. 91 defines life at conception

S. 91 and companion House legislation H. 374 to the 112th Congress would provide 14th Amendment protection to the pre-born.

Republican Senator Roger F. Wicker of Mississippi and Republican Representative Duncan D. Hunter of California have submitted legislation with identical language that would provide “…equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.”

The bill cites the power of Congress granted under Article I, Section 8, the last clause which states, “To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof” as the authority for the bill.

Liberals will probably be quick to point out that no where in Section 8 of Article I does it give Congress the duty or right to protect the unborn. Pete Singer is reported to have expressed the belief that killing babies up to about twenty-weeks should be legal.

This is from a lack of understanding that the Constitution was intended to ensure the natural rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Thus it does fall into the category of “…all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States,…”

The bill defines Humans as, “(1) HUMAN PERSON; HUMAN BEING- The terms ‘human person’ and ‘human being’ include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including, but not limited to, the moment of fertilization, cloning, and other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.”

The bill would effectively outlaw abortion.

[Sam]

a friend of mine has contacted his Senator about S.91 and received the following reply:

Dear Mr. F.........

Thank you for expressing your views on S.91, the Life at Conception Act.

S.91 would implement equal protection under the 14th amendment of the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person. This legislation would effectively criminalize abortion.

While I believe abortion procedures should be rare, they should be safe and legal. A woman's decision to terminate a pregnancy is never an easy one, but it should be a private decision between the woman and her doctor, protected by the constitutional right to privacy.

Although the rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States has been declining, it remains the second-highest in the developed world. Approximately 72 per 1,000 women aged 15-19 -- nearly one million American teenagers -- become pregnant each year. The majority of these pregnancies -- 82 percent -- are unintended. Family planning experts believe criminalizing abortion will not deter teenagers from having sex. The only way to reduce the number of abortions is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, and the most effective way to accomplish this goal is through access to information about human sexuality and reproductive health care services.

There is a misconception that being pro-choice means you are an "abortion advocate." Nothing could be further from the truth. Abortion is not desirable, but it must remain a choice.

Should this bill be brought before the Senate for a vote, I keep your views in mind.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown
United States Senator