[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 154 (Friday, October 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            PROTECT LIFE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 13, 2011

  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition 
to H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act.
  At a time when the current unemployment rate is 9.1 percent, we need 
to focus on creating jobs and spurring economic growth.
  Instead, the Majority has chosen to focus on unnecessary legislation 
aimed at endangering the health of women across this country.
  The Majority has spent weeks and months in the House trying to repeal 
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care act. After those attempts 
failed they began attacking individual provisions in the health reform 
law.
  The Protect Life Act is another attack on health reform. Beyond that, 
the legislation is unnecessary.
  We already established that no federal funds will be used to perform 
abortion under health reform because these protections are already 
included in the underlying law of the land known as the Hyde amendment, 
which simply states that no federal funds from being used to perform 
abortions.
  Supporters of the Protect Life Act assert that they are ensuring no 
federal funds being used for abortions, but this argument ignores the 
overreaching nature of the bill and the dangerous consequences for 
women associated with this legislation.
  Under this legislation, health care entities could refuse to 
``participate in'' abortions. This could mean that a hospital employee 
could refuse to process bills, handle medical records, or set up an 
examination room.
  The bill also endangers women's health and lives by creating a 
dangerous loophole in longstanding state and federal laws that require 
hospitals to provide appropriate emergency care to pregnant women and 
would eliminate existing protections for women seeking care in 
emergency circumstances--allowing a hospital to deny abortion care to a 
woman, even if it would save her life.
  The Protect Life Act also allows states to enact sweeping 
``conscience'' laws that would allow health plans to refuse to cover 
women's preventive services, including birth control, without cost-
sharing--potentially undoing a new protection that 66 percent of 
Americans support.
  This legislation goes far beyond any legislation passed by the House 
with regard to abortion. Quite simply, it endangers the health and 
lives of women.
  Beyond that, we are wasting valuable time on a bill that cannot pass 
the Senate and will be vetoed by President Obama instead of debating 
and voting on the American Jobs Act.
  Our constituents both Republicans and Democrats want us to work on 
creating jobs and reducing our deficit. I fail to see how this 
legislation accomplishes either of those goals.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

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