[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 10 (Thursday, January 17, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H708-H710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             RIGHT TO LIFE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) is recognized 
for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, as a father and a grandfather, I know the 
love that a family feels for their children, and it doesn't begin on 
the day they are born. It starts when you first learn that the prayers 
have been answered and that a new life is being brought into the world.
  As we talk today on this particular subject, a lot of people don't 
realize that there have been many things that have occurred in my life 
and my family's life that make this a very personal issue.
  Thirty-eight years ago, my wife was a junior in high school. I had 
just left for Marine Corps boot camp. We weren't married. She 
discovered that we were going to have our first child.
  She had five teachers who thought that it would be a good idea, 
because she was such a great student, to not ruin her life by having a 
child. Those five teachers encouraged her to go and receive an 
abortion. I thank God that she understood the importance of life. That 
child, who would have been aborted, now serves in the United States 
Marine Corps and is a major and will probably be a light colonel before 
long.

                              {time}  1500

  He also has a law practice in our hometown. He has raised four 
children. He is an outstanding citizen. He serves on the county board. 
He is a respected member of society. He is even studying to go into the 
ministry. I am so glad of the choice that she made. Her life wasn't 
ruined. She might jokingly say: Well, I have still been with you for 38 
years.
  But she went on and she used her time when we were in Twentynine 
Palms, California, in the Marine Corps, she actually took credit hours 
and sent that back to our home high school where she graduated in the 
top 10 of her class. As a mother, and as a youth minister, and as a 
business owner, she has shown others by example.
  Really, as we move forward and we talk about this debate, there are 
other concerns that I have, and that is that we in this body and in 
this Nation need to realize that there are certain questions that come 
up; such as, When does life begin?
  Let me fast forward in our lives. Our oldest daughter, on July 26, 
2002, discovered that her twins were in trouble in the womb. Well, 
actually it was before that. We took her to a hospital in St. Louis. It 
was just after my son's wedding, and she and her husband, who had an 
older child at the time, they discovered that these two twins had what 
was known as a joint communication, and they were trying desperately to 
get those babies from 25 weeks to 26 weeks.
  But on July 26, we lost Hallie in the womb, which then drove my 
daughter Kasey into labor, and then we held

[[Page H709]]

Ellianna for 1 hour and 35 minutes as she passed. Now, we have had 
legislation that quite often says at that point, that abortion should 
go ahead and occur. Well, I have seen what a child looks like at 24 and 
25 weeks, and that is not the time that we need to say that that is not 
a life. I do believe that life begins at conception.
  It is my sincere belief that America is only as strong as the 
willingness to protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us. My 
family participates in those opportunities to help young women who 
maybe have an unwanted pregnancy, also to help people who have chosen 
not to choose life, and also ministers to those who have lost children. 
My daughter is in that ministry as well through a group called Tender 
Mercies Foundation of Southern Illinois.
  But that is why I fought in Congress to eliminate taxpayer funding of 
abortions, and to preserve pro-life healthcare providers the right of 
conscience.
  Tomorrow, we are once again going to have the March for Life, which 
is a pro-life movement that is growing stronger all the time, as it 
should, as science is proving when life begins. I hope that you listen 
and I hope that you get involved, and I hope that you understand that 
there is a need.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas, Congressman Chip 
Roy.
  Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding. I rise 
today on the eve of the March for Life as a cancer survivor, as someone 
who appreciates every day that we are given from the good Lord above as 
a gift.
  I want to recount a story from a couple of years ago that my wife and 
I shared in ``National Review Online''. What do you do when the doctor 
coldly asks whether you would like to terminate your child? Two years 
ago this month, this became very real to my wife and I and we wrote 
about it in the article in ``National Review''.
  We received a call from one of our dearest friends. She was pregnant. 
She asked me if I would be the baby's godfather, but her words of joy 
were tempered. She then went on to explain a series of harrowing 
medical concerns, the most significant of which was that the baby might 
be missing a part of his brain, a part that connects the left and right 
hemispheres.
  She was terrified and she couldn't ask questions quickly enough. 
Forty-eight excruciating hours later, the MRI was performed and it was 
inconclusive. She was told to come back again in 2 weeks for another 
ultrasound.
  The next week, her obstetrician, a woman doctor, silently reviewed 
the file. Then she looked at our friend straight in the eye and asked 
her if she wanted to terminate the pregnancy.
  Now, my friend explained that the doctor had asked her the question 
in the same tone that she might have used when she ordered a coffee at 
Starbucks. She didn't blink an eye. She asked the question in front of 
her two little boys. She asked without her husband there. She offered 
no explanation or comfort. It was cold.
  The doctor told her she had to decide quickly because she was 
approaching the 22-week limit, which is as long as you can legally seek 
an abortion in Virginia.
  Our friend's response was a source of pride for us. She told us she 
almost laughed and then politely responded that termination was not an 
option. She walked out of that doctor's office and never returned.
  In a world where everything and everyone seems to be so sensitive 
about every word that is uttered, we have completely desensitized 
abortion. We use politically correct words. One is pro-choice. The 
pregnancy is terminated because no one wants to say that the baby was 
killed. But if you are ending an innocent life on purpose, I am not 
sure what other way to put it.
  So how did it all turn out? Her ultrasound was completely normal at 
24 weeks. Her baby was born. He is my godson. He is healthy. He came 
here and he saw his godfather get sworn into Congress.
  Choose life. Life is not perfect. But each life is perfect.
  Madam Speaker, I include in the Record this op-ed in its entirety, 
which was published on January 26, 2017, in ``National Review Online'', 
coauthored by my wife, Carrah.

               [From the National Review, Jan. 26, 2017]

               A Mother's Love and the March That Matters

                       (By Chip Roy & Carrah Roy)

       What do you do when the doctor coldly asks whether you'd 
     like to `terminate' your child?
       For many people, January 2017 will be marked by the 
     inauguration of a president and a march on Washington the 
     following day. For us, every January is marked by two phone 
     calls we received in January 2015--and by a very different 
     march.
       The ``Women's March on Washington'' has already been all-
     consuming on social media. It was billed as an ``inclusive'' 
     movement with the vision:
       We stand together in solidarity with our partners and 
     children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our 
     health, and our families--recognizing that our vibrant and 
     diverse communities are the strength of our country.
       Sounds so caring--until you learn that ``inclusive'' and 
     ``diverse'' mean that if you are pro-life, you are not 
     welcome, and if you don't attend or join in this supposed 
     solidarity, you are ``anti-woman.'' Doesn't seem as 
     inclusive, does it?
       In deed, it is wholly exclusive. In their zeal to shock and 
     to trumpet a convoluted notion of freedom to have their 
     bodies ``left alone,'' these marchers exclude the bodies of 
     the unborn. What about the rights of an unborn child? What 
     about the safety of an unborn child? What about the health of 
     an unborn child?
       Two years ago this month, this became very real to us.
       We received a call from one of our dearest friends. Then 32 
     and already mother to two healthy, wonderful boys, our friend 
     said, with an air of urgency, ``[My husband] and I wanted to 
     wait a little longer to ask, but something's come up and we 
     have to ask now. I am pregnant--and we want you to be the 
     baby's godfather.'' We were thrilled, but the excitement was 
     tempered by the strange introduction. Here's what she 
     explained to me.
       She and her husband, having two boys already, couldn't wait 
     to find out whether they would add another boy to the crew or 
     instead start buying things that were pink. They excitedly 
     drove to the appointment for the baby's 20-week ultrasound to 
     find out. A few minutes into the sonogram, the ultrasound 
     tech excused herself from the room. Immediately, their hearts 
     sank. Something was .wrong. It was a long wait. Finally, the 
     radiologist came back into the room and moved the wand around 
     with a blank look on her face. Then, she told our friend to 
     get dressed and come into her office. She explained that the 
     baby might be missing a part of his brain, the part that 
     connects the left and right hemispheres.
       She was terrified but couldn't ask questions fast enough. 
     Would the baby survive the pregnancy? Live outside the womb? 
     Were these minor developmental delays or major issues? She 
     and her husband were sent home without answers and told to 
     come back so they could perform an MRI of the baby's brain. 
     The technician thought that the baby might be lying in a 
     position that didn't allow the doctor to get a good view and 
     that the MRI could clear it up.
       Forty-eight excruciating hours later, the MRI was 
     performed. It was inconclusive.
       They did learn that the condition could range from minor 
     developmental delays to severe cognitive and life-threatening 
     issues, but they wouldn't know the specifics for their child 
     until the baby was born. They were told to come back again in 
     two weeks for another ultrasound.
       None of us stopped praying those two weeks. For our friend 
     it was a constant conversation with God. She was scared, but 
     she said that she knew it would be okay. She knew the baby 
     would be okay. She ``just knew.'' She felt scared of the 
     unknown but also at peace, saying, ``God gave me this baby 
     for a reason.'' If the baby needed help, she would do 
     everything she could and God ``would help'' them. And she 
     would love that baby just like she loves her two boys.
       She had a monthly check up with her ob-gyn the following 
     week. Her husband had to work, but she took their two boys 
     with her. They liked going to hear the baby's heartbeat and 
     the checkups were usually routine and quick. She went in to 
     the appointment expecting that her doctor would reassure her 
     and answer more questions than the radiologist had. The 
     doctor--a woman--silently reviewed the file. Then the doctor 
     looked our friend straight in the eye and asked her if she 
     wanted to terminate the pregnancy.
       She called us right after that appointment, understandably 
     angry and terrified. Terminate? What?
       She explained that the doctor had asked her the question in 
     the same tone she might have used when ordering coffee at 
     Starbucks. She didn't blink an eye. She asked it in front of 
     her two little boys. She asked without her husband there. She 
     offered no explanation or comfort. It was cold. The doctor 
     told her she had to decide quickly because she was 
     approaching 22 weeks (which is as long as you can legally 
     wait to have an abortion in Virginia).
       Our friend's response was such a source of pride for us. 
     She told us ``she almost laughed and then politely responded 
     that `termination' was not an option.'' She walked out of 
     that doctor's office and never returned.
       Yes, there may be some issues. She didn't have a perfect 
     ultrasound. But it was her

[[Page H710]]

     baby who, she told us, ``was growing inside of her, kicking, 
     loving music, moving when the boys spoke toward her belly, 
     doing somersaults when she ate ice cream.''
       We all realized that God put our friend in this position 
     for a reason. She has a strong faith. She knew she could 
     handle it, because God was with her. She told us that the 
     baby ``would know love, would feel love.'' Facing her fear of 
     the unknown with faith and love strengthened her as a mother 
     and a woman. But what if it hadn't been our friend? What if 
     another woman had listened to that doctor, who made it feel 
     so easy and acceptable to just ``terminate'' and try again 
     for a ``better'' outcome.
       We use politically correct words . . . The pregnancy is 
     ``terminated.'' Because no one wants to say that she killed 
     her baby.
       In a world where everything and everyone seems to be so 
     sensitive, we have completely desensitized abortion. We use 
     politically correct words. One is ``pro-choice.'' The 
     pregnancy is ``terminated.'' Because no one wants to say that 
     she kilted her baby. But if you are ending an innocent life 
     on purpose, we're not sure what other way to put it.
       But sadly, even today, more than 3,000 abortions are 
     performed every day in the United States. That is more than 1 
     million per year. Since Roe v. Wade inserted unelected judges 
     into the question of the beginning of life, more than 56 
     million babies have died at the hands of abortionists--56 
     million. Just let that sink in.
       So how did it all turn out? Her ultrasound was completely 
     normal at 24 weeks. They just couldn't get a good read at her 
     20-week appointment. Her baby was born in May of 2015 and is 
     completely healthy. It was a boy, by the way. None of us--but 
     particularly his loving and courageous mother--can imagine 
     life without him.
       This week, there will be another march on Washington: the 
     one that truly matters. This one is to celebrate life, and 
     all are welcome, including the unborn and those who love 
     them.
       Choose Life. Life is not perfect, but each life is perfect.

  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Waltz).
  Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today as we approach the 
46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade to speak on behalf of Americans who 
cannot speak for themselves.
  Our Nation was founded on the notion that every American has a right 
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As legislators, we are 
bound to protect these rights, especially as they relate to our most 
vulnerable population, which is why we cannot ignore the fundamental 
right of an unborn child to live.
  While Roe v. Wade may be the law of the land, I am here today because 
I, along with many of my fellow Floridians, disagree with it. I believe 
it is incumbent on this institution to debate the definition of life as 
well as our authority and responsibility to protect it.
  As a father, I have the privilege and have had the privilege of 
watching my daughter grow from a tiny blip on a monitor, to a beautiful 
baby girl, and now to a strong, courageous young woman, the young woman 
that she is today; and when I look at her my heart breaks. It breaks 
for the children whose lives have been and continue to be taken from 
them just as they are beginning.
  These children could have been future doctors, lawyers, Members of 
Congress, teachers, military servicemembers, anything they wanted. But, 
unfortunately, because of a court decision made nearly 46 years ago, we 
will never know who those children would have become.
  Madam Speaker, as a veteran, I have seen horrible things. And, yet, I 
believe abortion is one of the greater tragedies of our generation. I 
believe, in time, future generations will look back on this era in 
American history and condemn us for the millions of children that we 
have allowed to be taken. Because the truth is, each life, from the 
moment it begins to exist, is a precious person, and therefore, has a 
fundamental God-given right to live.
  So on this anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I stand with my colleagues in 
solidarity for the lives lost, and I pray for the mothers and fathers 
that face very difficult circumstances surrounding new life.
  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for 
coming to speak.
  Madam Speaker, tomorrow, we are going to welcome to this city once 
again the people who believe in the sanctity of life. They will walk 
down Pennsylvania Avenue from The Mall and they will be well-behaved. 
They will be kind. But they will be rising up and letting the people of 
this United States know that we are concerned about the children in the 
womb that can't speak for themselves.
  Madam Speaker, over the years of my time in elected office, I have 
been asked by many people from both parties: Well, what do you know? 
You are not a woman, and it is a woman's choice. Well, I am telling you 
that I hope that no women that I know--and I wish that would never be 
the case--that they would be in a situation where they are so scared of 
an unwanted pregnancy that they think that it would hurt their lives.
  But my wife, my 2 daughters, my 7 granddaughters--and my hope is that 
with my 11 grandchildren, I have many, many more great-grandchildren--
that they will grow up in a United States that understands the 
importance of life at its conception, that science, which I believe is 
now beginning to show what we have known all along, as one speaker 
spoke earlier, that when that cell is formed and it starts coming 
together, and then in just a few short hours or a few short days, a 
heartbeat starts, and then in a few weeks we understand that that baby 
grows to the point that they can feel pain.
  Each one of these items are things that are brought up in legislation 
of why it is that we need to explain and understand and put into law 
what truly is life and where life begins.
  I don't blame the courts. I blame this body over the years. I believe 
God has the opportunity to say when life begins. But I think science 
has taught us certain clear factors about what life is and when life 
begins. My hope is that the American people will not only think about 
this tomorrow during that march, but they will think about it every day 
of the year; that they will think about all of the great wisdom that we 
may have lost in the abortions that have been committed over the last 
45 years.
  Madam Speaker, I want to say a special thank you to everyone that 
spoke here today and to the people I represent in Illinois' 12th 
Congressional District. I want the people to know and remember what 
tomorrow is about, and how important these young lives are, and why it 
is important for us to do our job as laid out in the Constitution, 
which is allowing life to be protected.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________