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Posted on 04/01/2004 2:29:17 PM PST by chance33_98
DeLay: Protection for All Victims, Born and Unborn; President Signs Unborn Victims of Violence Act Into Law
4/1/2004 3:46:00 PM
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To: National Desk
Contact: Stuart Roy or Jonathan Grella, 202-225-4000, both of the Office of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
WASHINGTON, April 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) today commended President Bush for recognizing the loss of human life that occurs when an unborn child is the victim of a crime by signing the Unborn Victims of Violence Act into law.
"This law rights a blatant and indefensible wrong by establishing what everyone already knows -- that these children were here." DeLay said. "With the president's signature, common sense and common decency are finally placed into law."
Before the president signed the law, an individual who committed a federal crime of violence against a pregnant woman received no additional punishment for killing or injuring the woman's unborn child. Under the new law, the unborn child is recognized as a separate victim in the crime.
"We can now say that in this nation, unborn children targeted by violent men are guaranteed justice under the lawjust as their murderers are," DeLay said.
The House of Representatives passed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act by wide margins in 1999 and 2001; however, it was never considered on the floor of the Senate. In February the House once again took up the measure, which passed by a bipartisan vote of 254-163 and was followed by Senate passage. President Bush signed the bill into law at a White House ceremony this afternoon.
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