[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 80 (Thursday, May 31, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H3274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ISSUES FACING AMERICA TODAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Let me, first of all, say how pleased I am 
to have Benjamin with me, who is representing and advocating for the 
fairness and treatment of the foster care system and foster children as 
they mature into adulthood. This is an important aspect of democracy.
  Mr. Speaker, I come this morning with a series of issues regarding 
rights. First of all, let me acknowledge that this was Memorial Day 
week, when I hope all of us were doing more commemorating than possibly 
celebrating with tasty food. I had the privilege of joining our 
community in a national Memorial Day celebration at the Houston 
Veterans Cemetery and then going to The Heights, a historic community, 
and commemorating the fallen soldiers at the World War II Monument in 
The Heights of the 18th Congressional District. On this past Saturday, 
I had a fun festival day of veterans and celebration commemorating the 
service of our soldiers--those who have fallen and those who live.
  That's why I rise today to ask and encourage--even after the NATO 
meeting--that we have a quick resolution of the Afghan war. And I join 
my colleagues, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Walter Jones, in their 
discussion this afternoon of what's next in Afghanistan. We thank those 
soldiers on the front line. None of our commentary to bring this war to 
an end has anything to do with their brave, wonderful, heroic acts of 
service and fighting for democracy and justice.
  We ask President Karzai and his government to end its corruptness and 
to begin to transition so that the people of Afghanistan can live in 
peace. We want peace as well, and we want their rights to prevail.
  Mr. Speaker, I now move to a tragic situation of huge proportions. I 
joined Syrian Americans on Tuesday in my community, standing in front 
of the Federal courthouse, crying out for peace and justice for the 
Syrian people. Alongside of me were Syrian Americans whose families 
were in Houla and Homs and had seen the brutality. We had projections 
of the violence against children and bodies wrapped in white cloth.
  Mr. Speaker, we cry out and wonder why there cannot be more done by 
the world. Where is the outrage?
  I congratulate the Secretary of State and the President of the United 
States and other Western countries and others who have expelled the 
Syrian envoys. Get them out now because, obviously, Dr. Assad does not 
recognize that people are valued.
  And so I call upon the Arab League to put pressure on China and 
Russia. Let us not put our individual needs of energy--oil and gas, oil 
in particular--over the deadly violence that is going on in Syria. 
Shame on you.
  I ask the U.N. Security Council that is now blocked by China and 
Russia to institute a U.N. Unity of Peace Resolution No. 377, which was 
done during the Korean War, where you go to the General Assembly and 
put forward recommendations that would engage or provide for peace and 
provide for the involvement of other countries providing for the 
assistance of the Syrian free army.
  No, I'm not asking for war. I'm asking for the end of the violence in 
Syria. How can we stand by as we once stood by looking at Darfur, as we 
once stood by looking at Rwanda? How can we stand by?
  I cry out for this Congress to issue sanctions. I cry out for 
actions.
  Let me conclude by simply saying today we will have on the floor of 
the House a bill by the name of PRENDA. As I've heard from my 
colleagues, not one of us disagree with the idea of forced abortions, 
meaning that we do not disagree that that is heinous and horrific. I 
fear the PRENDA legislation because it is not thoughtful and has not 
been drafted in a way that distinguishes the rights of women in this 
Nation to have choice. And what it does, Mr. Speaker, is it 
criminalizes a doctor and criminalizes a relationship between a patient 
and a physician.
  In this country, we have the right of choice. That choice is between 
a woman, her God, her faith, her family, and her physician. And what 
you do in PRENDA is that you taint and stigmatize the relationship 
between the doctor and the patient. Because how do you get in the 
mindset and the psyche of a physician who is doing his job providing 
the care that the woman has asked--her choice--and begin to demonize 
and suggest that she is forcibly deciding to abort because she is 
forcibly deciding what gender she wants?
  Then, of course, you add insult to injury by profiling various 
countries. As my colleague has previously said, why can't we look for 
more positive ways of providing women's rights and discerning or 
educating people that women are equally valuable as human beings as 
men? But the PRENDA bill demonizes the patient-physician relationship. 
We cannot have that. I ask for a ``no'' vote.

                          ____________________