Thursday, April 28, 2005

They've Hit Bottom - And Started To Dig!

Okay, this just smacks of puerileness. The Republicans, in a fit of pique more suited to a spoiled toddler, went back and rewrote amendments offered to the Child Interstate Abortion Notifaction Act (the act that prohibits transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of abortion w/o notifaction of a guardian) to make it seem like the Democrats were protecting sexual predators. Let me state that again - the Republicans went back and rewrote amendments offered by Democrats to make it seem they SPECIFICALLY were protecting sexual predators. I got this from Washington Monthly, and from other websites I tracked down the actual bill and the said amendments. Here's a side by side comparision, and the GOP versions are the amendments inside the official record:

DEMS: 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. (no 11-16)
GOP REWRITE:. 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. By a roll call vote of 11 yeas to 16 nays, the amendment was defeated.

DEMS: a Nadler amendment to exempt a grandparent or adult sibling from the criminal and civil provisions in the bill (no 12-19)
GOP REWRITE: . 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. By a roll call vote of 12 yeas to 19 nays, the amendment was defeated.

DEMS: a Scott amendment to exempt cab drivers, bus drivers and others in the business transportation profession from the criminal provisions in the bill (no 13-17)
:GOP REWRITE. 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. By a roll call vote of 13 yeas to 17 nays, the amendment was defeated.

DEMS: a Scott amendment that would have limited criminal liability to the person committing the offense in the first degree (no 12-18)
GOP REWRITE:. 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. By a roll call vote of 12 yeas to 18 nays, the amendment was defeated

DEMS: a Jackson-Lee amendment to exempt clergy, godparents, aunts, uncles or first cousins from the penalties in the bill (no 13-20)
GOP REWRITE. 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. By a roll call vote of 13 yeas to 20 nays, the amendment was defeated.

You know, I've been struggling not to use 1984 references too much in these discussions, but it's getting harder and harder - doesn't this make anyone think of Winston Smith's job in MiniTruth?

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