Excerpts from Senate floor debate on the Feinstein single-victim substitute--March 25, 2004.(Senator Dianne Feinstein debates H.R. 1997, Unborn Victims of Violence Act bill)

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.), author of the "single-victim substitute": Everything will be the same [in her bill] except a few simple words that inject the abortion debate into this issue by clearly establishing in criminal law for the first time in history that life begins at the moment of conception. I contend that if this result is incorporated in law, it will be the first step in removing a woman's right to choice, particularly in the early months of a pregnancy before viability.

Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), chief Senate sponsor of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act: [The Feinstein Substitute] twists the reality of the common sense of people when they look at this. When they see a pregnant woman who is assaulted and her child dies, they intuitively know there is a victim besides the mother. They know the mother is a victim, but they also know there is a second victim. The vast majority of the American people, if you ask them was there another victim, will say of course there are two victims. Our bill recognizes the second victim. The Feinstein Amendment refuses to recognize the second victim.... If you believe there is a second victim, you cannot vote for the Feinstein amendment. It denies there is a second victim.

Senator Sam Brownback (R-Ks.): When her mother's heart stopped, her in utero child does not die instantly. Instead, the in utero baby dies slower. When the mother's heart stops beating, the baby begins to suffocate for lack of oxygen. The baby can feel. The baby is in pain. At four minutes, the baby begins to suffer severe neurological damage. The process gets worse. [Unborn victim] Ashley Nicole would have finally died 15 minutes after her mother Christina had been shot and killed. Look at this photo again of Christina and Ashley in the coffin. Is there one victim? Or are there two? Who will say there is only one ...