[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 10 (Thursday, January 17, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 S. 109

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, tomorrow Washington will play host to 
one of our Nation's proudest examples of peaceful activism: the 49th 
annual March for Life.
  Hundreds of thousands of Americans--from different States, different 
faiths, different ethnic backgrounds--will speak with one voice on 
behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. I would like to 
welcome the marchers, especially my fellow Kentuckians, including 
Margie Montgomery, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life. I 
welcome all the marchers with gratitude. I am grateful they are helping 
shed light on this great shame of our society and bearing witness to 
the fact that human dignity and human rights are for everyone.
  As they march tomorrow, our friends can take pride in knowing our 
beliefs are not just consistent with morality and supported by science; 
they are also squarely within the mainstream of our society. According 
to one recent survey, a sizable majority of American adults hold views 
on the subject that are far, far from the absolutist position of the 
far left.
  Seventy-five percent of all Americans, including more than 60 percent 
of those who call themselves pro-choice, support more protection for 
the lives of unborn children.
  The far left is wedded to the most extreme positions on this subject. 
For example, the radical left wants America to remain one of only 
seven--seven--countries in the entire world, including China and North 
Korea, that allow elective abortions to occur after 20 weeks and even 
after the child is capable of feeling pain. The American people, 
however, know better. That survey also found that a majority of 
Americans oppose taxpayer-funded abortions. So I am proud today to 
stand with that majority of Americans and urge every Member of this 
body to join me in supporting the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act 
this afternoon.
  Thanks to the dedication of Senators Wicker, Roberts, Ernst, 
Lankford, Daines, Blunt, and many others, the bill before us would 
supplement existing law and bolster the important, longstanding 
protections of the Hyde amendment.
  By implementing a governmentwide, statutory prohibition on taxpayer 
subsidies for abortion and abortion coverage, S. 109 would close off 
Federal support for abortion that flows outside of the Hyde-protected 
regular appropriations process.
  In addition, it would explicitly ensure that Federal healthcare 
facilities are not party to abortions and increase transparency 
requirements for federally subsidized healthcare plans.
  I am proud to support this important step forward in protecting 
Americans' rights of conscience, and I urge every one of our colleagues 
to vote to advance it.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.

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