A Method in the Madness

Those who have heard about the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act — which just passed the House and received an endorsement from President Bush — may wonder how the bill muscled its way through with such glaring problems. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) provided a possible reason: Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and his staff apparently perverted the captions of five amendments in order to “distort their meaning and intent.” You are likely to see a pattern to his strategy…

Original Amendment: A Nadler amendment allows an adult who could be prosecuted under the bill to go to a Federal district court and seek a waiver to the state’s parental notice laws if this remedy is not available in the state court.

Sensenbrenner’s Translation: Mr. Nadler offered an amendment that would have created an additional layer of Federal court review that could be used by sexual predators to escape conviction under the bill.
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Original Amendment: A Nadler amendment to exempt a grandparent or adult sibling from the criminal and civil provisions in the bill.

Sensenbrenner’s Translation: Mr. Nadler offered an amendment that would have exempted sexual predators from prosecution under the bill if they were grandparents or adult siblings of a minor.
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Original Amendment: A Scott amendment to exempt cab drivers, bus drivers and others in the business transportation profession from the criminal provisions in the bill.

Sensenbrenner’s Translation: Mr. Scott offered an amendment that would have exempted sexual predators from prosecution if they are taxicab drivers, bus drivers, or others in the business of professional transport.
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Original Amendment: A Scott amendment that would have limited criminal liability to the person committing the offense in the first degree.

Sensenbrenner’s Translation: Mr. Scott offered an amendment that would have exempted from prosecution under the bill those who aid and abet criminals who could be prosecuted under the bill.
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Original Amendment: A Jackson-Lee amendment to exempt clergy, godparents, aunts, uncles or first cousins from the penalties in the bill.

Sensenbrenner’s Translation: Ms. Jackson-Lee offered an amendment that would have exempted sexual predators from prosecution under the bill if they were clergy, godparents, aunts, uncles, or first cousins of a minor, and would require a study by the Government Accounting Office.