mr. speaker , i include for the record an editorial published this morning in the daily newspaper in norfolk , virginia , the virginian pilot , on this issue . 
a house divided against itself the mood in certain precincts of congress has become so poisonous that people are n't speaking our common language unless they 're accusing political opponents of unspeakable crimes . 
the `` child interstate abortion notification act '' would make it a federal offense to take a minor across a state line to get an abortion without the consent of her parents , for a physician to perform such abortions , and allows parents to sue anybody who does . 
democrats on the judiciary committee offered several amendments that would have limited the law 's scope . 
u.s. rep . 
bobby scott , for example , sought to insert this line : `` the prohibitions of this section do not apply with respect to conduct by taxicab drivers , bus drivers or others in the business of professional transport. '' pretty straightforward , right ? 
should the u.s. government prosecute a bus driver because a girl in one of its seats is traveling to end a pregnancy ? 
no matter your answer to that question , the congressman 's wording is pretty clear , unless you 're a member of the judiciary committee 's staff , which managed scott 's amendment into this : `` mr. scott xz4003641 offered an amendment that would have exempted sexual predators from prosecution if they 're taxicab drivers , bus drivers or others in the business of professional transport. '' in other words , the staff of a committee on which scott serves accused him of trying to protect sexual predators , arguably a crime in itself . 
it is the kind of libel -- repeated against two other democratic members of the committee -- that only nameless , faceless bureaucrat would dare make . 
but , significantly , it 's also the kind of power-made mischief that the republican leadership felt deserved defense . 
the congress tuesday evening spent an hour debating a resolution to require republicans to change the descriptions , which are supposed to be , and ordinarily are , written in dry , neutral language . 
that debate was itself illustrative of how deep the divisions in congress have become . 
while the democrats -- including scott and minority leader nancy pelosi -- talked about how republicans abused the truth to score political points , the majority changed the subject entirely and re-argued the merits of the abortion bill , which passed the week before . 
`` the issue is whether we can trust each other to deal with each other fairly , '' said wisconsin democrat rep . 
david obey , who had voted for the abortion bill . 
in the end , tuesday 's debate was a rancorous parry and feint , lasted an eternity and came to absolutely nothing . 
the resolution to change the descriptions , of course , failed on a party-line vote . 
still , for 60 minutes , the rudeness that now rules the hall of the capitol was on sharp display for all america to see . 
`` the rewrite says more about the person who wrote it , and those who defend it , than it does about the amendment itself , '' scott said tuesday . 
scott 's right . 
what is says is nothing kind , and not to be forgotten . 
