NELSON STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT RULING ON PARTIAL BIRTH
ABORTION BAN
April 18, 2007 -
Today, in a 5-4 vote, the United States Supreme Court upheld a
federal law banning partial birth abortions. Nebraska's Senator Ben
Nelson voted for and was a co-sponsor of the legislation. The law had
previously been challenged by federal courts in Nebraska, New York and
California. The decision today overturns those rulings.
Nelson issued the following statement on today's decision:
"I agree with today's decision by the Supreme Court and I disagree
with federal Judge Richard Kopf and others who have struck down the ban
on partial birth abortion. I am pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court's
final say overturns poor decisions made by lower federal courts.
"When Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito sat in my office before
their confirmation hearings, they pledged they would interpret the law,
not make the law. Today's decision is a victory over judicial activism."
NELSON: SENATE APPROVES CHILD CUSTODY PROTECTION ACT
The Senate approved tonight the Child Custody Protection Act (S.
403), making it a federal crime to take minors across state lines to
obtain an abortion in order to circumvent state parental notification
and consent laws. Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson cosponsored the
legislation, which passed 65-34.
“I signed Nebraska’s parental notification law into effect in 1991
when I was Governor,” said Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson. “It is
critical that we have this federal law in place to ensure individuals
cannot take minors across state lines to avoid laws set in place to
ensure parental consent and protect minors.”
All but six states and Washington DC have consent or notification
requirements for minors seeking abortions, although nine of those laws
have been enjoined by judges or the states' attorneys general. State
parental consent laws, including Nebraska’s, contain "judicial bypass"
provisions, as required by the U.S. Supreme Court. Any minor who
receives such judicial authorization in her home state would not be
affected by S. 403.
S. 403 contains a provision that allows a parent to sue a person who
transports the parent's minor daughter to another state for an abortion
in circumvention of the law. An amendment was adopted to the Senate
legislation this evening that clarified that this right to sue cannot be
employed by a parent who commits incest on the minor.
The House passed similar legislation last year.
NELSON STATEMENT ON STEM CELL LEGISLATION
April 11, 2007 -
Today, the United States Senate passed two bills to promote stem cell
research. S. 5 would expand the use of taxpayer dollars for embryonic
stem cell research. S. 30 would authorize funding for research where
embryos are not destroyed, discarded, or subjected to risk of injury or
death. Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson voted against S. 5 and for S. 30.
He issued the following statement:
"I oppose expanded federal funding for research on additional stem
cell lines, but support funding for promising research on adult,
umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, and other types of stem cells."
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