mr. speaker , in a country that espouses the importance of protecting the inherent rights of every person , abortion denies the rights of our most innocent and vulnerable members , our children .  as legislators , we have the great responsibility to strive to uphold the truths upon which our great country was founded , especially that every individual is entitled to life , liberty , and the pursuit of happiness .  abortion is not a sign that women are `` free to choose. '' it is a sign that women have been abandoned .  they have not had the support and care that they so desperately need .  rather , abortion is the only option offered .  abortion is one of the greatest scourges of our time .  it is a sign that we have not met the needs of women .  women deserve better than abortion .  it is a crime against humanity which not only takes the innocent life of a child but also profoundly alters the life of the mother .  women possess dignity and intrinsic beauty , and abortion tears them apart at the very core of their being .  i am proud to have had the opportunity to join with such dynamic pro-life women as patricia heaton , the costar of the tv show everybody loves raymond .  she is an outspoken advocate for women and for the protection of the rights of the unborn .  this past week , i met with patricia while she was in washington meeting with members of congress and staff members discussing the crucial need that we have as a society to strive to address the real challenges facing pregnant women and promoting women-centered solutions to significantly reduce abortion and protect women 's health .  i am pleased to be associated with organizations that work to increase public awareness of the devastation that abortion brings to women , men and their families .  these organizations ensure that the emotional and physical pain of abortion will no longer be shrouded in secrecy and silence but rather exposed and healed .  this past year , the pro-life movement has enjoyed many major victories in congress .  we have seen the passage of legislation protecting the sanctity of life and addressing the critical needs of women .  the partial birth abortion ban was signed into law by president bush .  the unborn victims of violence act also passed the house .  i have worked together with my colleagues here in congress and with president bush to defend the intrinsic rights of all citizens , especially the most defenseless .  i am pleased to note that today the house committee on the judiciary held a markup of my bill , h.r. 748 , the child interstate abortion notification act , ciana .  it was referred favorably as amended out of committee by a 20 to 13 margin and should be brought to the floor for a vote soon .  this critical legislation makes it a federal offense to knowingly transport a minor across a state line with the intent that she obtain an abortion in circumvention of a state 's parental consent or parental notification law .  ciana also requires that a parent or , if necessary , a legal guardian be notified pursuant to a default federal parental notification rule when a minor crosses state lines to obtain an abortion , unless one of several carefully drawn exceptions is met .  a minor who is forbidden to drink alcohol , to stay past a certain hour or to get her ears pierced without parental consent is certainly not prepared to make a life-altering , hazardous and potentially fatal decision such as obtaining an abortion without the consultation or the consent of at least one parent .  my legislation will close a loophole that allows adults not only to help minors break state laws by obtaining an abortion without parental consent but is also , unfortunately , contributing to ending the life of an innocent child .  we will close that loophole .  i am hopeful that in this 109th session of congress we will be successful in securing the rights of parents once and for all , and i encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill .  we have a great responsibility as a nation to maintain a true reverence for vulnerable human life and to continue to build a culture of life .  i will continue to work to ensure that the precious gift of life and the dignity of womanhood are promoted and protected at every level .  