The committee was considering HR 137 which would protect animals, specifically fighting roosters, from exploitation. Ranking member James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin thought it would be appropriate to protect another exploited class.

“I offered an amendment to have the House Judiciary Committee approve as a part of this bill the interstate transportation of minors for abortion prohibition act.”

Chairman John Conyers used a procedural ruling to kill the amendment.

“It’s shocking that the Democratic majority in congress decided to give more protection to chickens than to give to pregnant minor women and their parents and unborn babies.”

Pennsylvania congressman Joe Pitts remembers Speaker Nancy Pelosi surrounded herself with children at her swearing in and saying this would be the year of the children.

“Well, not all of the children. Not the unborn children and now not these little girls who are being taken without their parents knowledge or consent across state lines for an abortion. This is the kind of battle that we will have this year. We will not win very many because we don’t have the votes.”

The exchange in committee did produce the quote of the day from Sensenbrenner who asked ‘Isn’t protecting our nation’s young women equally, if not more important, than our dinner entrée?’”