WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today introduced the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA), which makes it a crime to abort a child based on his or her gender.  This legislation imposes criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly attempts to perform an abortion that is sought based on the sex of the child, anyone who forces or threatens force to coerce a sex-based abortion, anyone who solicits or accepts funds for the performance of a sex-selection abortion and anyone who transports a woman into the United States or across a state line for the purpose of obtaining an abortion based on gender.  

“Every one of these little lives is precious and formed in the hand of God.  Choosing to end a child’s life is reprehensible.  Choosing to end a child’s life based on his or her gender is absolutely heinous,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Only eight states currently have this law in place, and it only seems right to make abortions on the basis of sex illegal in all 50 states.   This legislation protects these babies and prohibits the terrible act of ending a child’s life based on gender.”

In addition to the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, Sen. Kennedy is a co-sponsor of nine more bills that protect the rights of unborn children and promote pro-life values.  Sen. Kennedy co-sponsored the following bills:

1.  Conscience Protect Act, which prevents federal, state and local governments from penalizing or discriminating against a health care provider for refusing to participate in abortions.
2. Life at Conception Act, which declares that the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to life, and the right to life is vested in each human being at all stages of life, including the moment of conception.
3. Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which makes it illegal to perform an abortion of an unborn child who is more than 20 weeks post-conception.
4. Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, which protects minors from being taken across state lines for an abortion without parental involvement. 
5. Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Act, which amends the Foreign Assistance Act to prohibit the allocation of funds to nonprofits and foreign nongovernmental organizations that perform abortions, lobby for abortions in foreign countries or counsel for abortions.
6. No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, which ensures that the American taxpayer never funds abortions through federal taxes.
7. Title X Abortion Provider Act, which prohibits subsidizing abortions through Title X Family Planning Program funds.
8. Born Alive Abortion Survivor Act, which ensures that a baby who survives an abortion will receive the same treatment as any naturally born premature child.
9. Protect Funding for Women’s Healthcare Act, which prohibits the use of federal funding for Planned Parenthood or any of its affiliates while protecting federal funding for critical health services for women, including cervical and breast cancer screenings, immunizations, and pre and postnatal care.