URGENT ** URGENT ** URGENT

WASHINGTON  --  The U.S. Senate will conduct a do-or-die vote on one of the most important pro-life bills ever to come before the Congress -- the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA) -- as early as Friday, September 29.

All pro-life groups and citizens must immediately TELEPHONE the offices of their two U.S. senators to urge them to vote in "in favor of cloture on the parental notification bill, S. 403."

It is this simple:  If a senator really believes that a parent should be notified before an abortion is performed on a minor, he or she will vote yes on S. 403, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.  If a senator wants abortionists to be able to perform abortions on girls of any age without knowledge of a parent, he or she will vote no, or skip the vote.  Because of the procedural situation, an absence will have the same effect as a pro-abortion vote. 

Sixty votes (out of 100 senators) will be required to send the bill to President Bush.  This vote is winnable. But you must act immediately!

Because the vote may occur so soon, you must rely on PHONE CALLS to the Washington offices of senators.  All Senate offices can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard:  202-224-3121.  Also, call the nearest IN-STATE offices of your two U.S. senators with the same message.  The numbers of in-state offices for each senator are listed on the NRLC website under the profile for each senator, here.

E-mails, faxes, and other modes of communication may not be counted until after the vote has already occurred!  So please -- TELEPHONE the D.C. and home-state offices of your senators.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED . . .

Earlier this evening (Wednesday, September 27), in a move that apparently caught pro-abortion forces by surprise, pro-life Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tn.) filed a "cloture petition" on S. 403, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (also known as the Child Custody Protection Act).  This crucial legislation has been blocked for months by the Senate Democratic leadership.  Senator Frist's action opens the door to move this bill rapidly to President Bush to be signed into law -- but only if the pro-life side can muster 60 votes (out of 100 senators).

The bill, which was approved by the House of Representatives earlier this week, is strongly supported by National Right to Life and other pro-life groups.  It would require any abortionist in any state to notify a parent before performing an abortion on a minor from another state (with certain exceptions).  It also prohibits transporting minors across state lines to obtain abortions, if this abridges the parents' right to be notified under the home-state law.

WE NEED 60 VOTES!

It will require 60 votes to pass this bill!  If fewer than 60 senators vote to advance the bill, it is dead for this year.  If 60 or more vote in favor of cloture, further amendments to the bill can be set aside, and it can be sent directly to President Bush, who is eager to sign it into law.

When the Senate gave initial approval to S. 403 in July, 65 senators voted in favor of it, so this vote is winnable!  That 65 included 51 Republicans and 14 Democrats.  But the 14 Democrats (listed below) will be under particularly strong pressures to switch their votes, and so will a few Republicans who voted for the bill but who do not have strong pro-life positions.  ALL senators should be called and urged to support sending S. 403 to President Bush!

Remember, on this occasion, an absence is the same as a pro-abortion vote.  if the vote is 59-0 in favor of the bill -- the pro-life side loses!  The pro-life side must have 60 senators on the floor and voting with Majority Leader Frist to send this bill to President Bush!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

-- To read NRLC's September 25, 2006 letter to House members on this bill, click here.

-- To view the September 26 House roll call (264-153) in favor of S. 403 (as amended by the House), click here.

-- To read S. 403 as passed by the House -- the bill that will be voted on in the Senate -- click here (PDF format --requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

-- To see polls on parental notification, click here.

-- For further information on the issue of parental notification, including a summary of the law in your state, go to the NRLC website page on Parental Notification, here.

THE 14 DEMOCRATS WHO VOTED FOR S. 403 ON JULY 25, 2006

On the do-or-die cloture vote that will occur on S. 403, the key group will be the 14 Democrats who voted for S. 403 on July 25.  Their names are listed below.  If one of your senators is on this list, he is among the small group that are more pivotal in determining whether this crucial legislation becomes law, or dies.   Urge these senators to stick to their earlier vote in favor of protecting vulnerable minors and the rights of parents!

Pryor (Ar.)
Salazar (Co.)
Carper (De.)
Bill Nelson (Fl.)
Inouye (Hi.)
Bayh (In.)
Landrieu (La.)
Ben Nelson (Ne.)
Reid (Nv.)
Conrad (ND)
Dorgan (ND)
Johnson (SD)
Byrd (WV)
Kohl (Wi.)

HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL TALKING POINTS ON THIS ISSUE!

     *  Many young girls leave their home states in order to avoid parental involvement in their abortion decisions, often under pressure from older boyfriends or at the urging of abortion providers, and the consequences are often tragic. 

     *  Many abortion clinics in states without parental notification laws purchase advertisements in neighboring states that have such laws, enticing girls to cross state laws to avoid parental involvement.

     *  This important legislation would do much to protect vulnerable young girls and the rights of their parents. Parental notification laws are supported by overwhelming majorities of the public -- around 80% in many polls.

To return to the main Parental Notification page, please click here.