[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 13, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H1560-H1566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROTECT BABIES BORN ALIVE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 3, 2019, the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
General Leave
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today alongside my colleagues to
speak out against the radical and dangerous policies being pursued by
Democratic leadership and State legislators across the country.
In New York, a new law legalizes what amounts to infanticide--
allowing abortions up to and even after birth for almost any reason--
and ends the safeguards that protect babies born alive after an
abortion attempt.
{time} 1715
In Virginia, a similar bill is under consideration that could lead to
babies being denied lifesaving medical care. As Governor Ralph Northam
put it: ``The infant would be kept comfortable . . . and then a
discussion would ensue.''
I think this is sickening. That is why my colleagues and I have
called for the House vote on H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion
Survivors Protection Act, a commonsense bill to require that medical
care--just medical care--be provided to children who survive a failed
abortion.
Sadly, Democratic leadership in the House is standing in the way and
refusing even to allow an up-or-down vote on this issue. This is not a
partisan issue. It is simply what is right.
We have got to stand together against this radical and inhumane
agenda. We must act to protect the rights of all infants.
I am grateful to be joined in this call by so many of my colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the Third District of
Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler).
Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to get to be here
on this floor, and I get to share my story.
In mid-2013 my husband, Dan, and I went in for our 20-week ultrasound
as excited first-time parents. We were not prepared for what we were
told. We were told our unborn baby had a zero percent chance at
survival. There were no kidneys. It was a condition called bilateral
renal agenesis, or Potter's syndrome. As a result, our baby would
either miscarry or be born unable to breathe because her lungs wouldn't
develop. She would literally suffocate upon arrival if we brought her
to term.
I, of course, was encouraged from physicians to abort my baby. While
there are many reasons that lead women to make that decision, Dr.
Jennifer Gunter, who is a women's health advocate, asserts that
``terminations after 24 weeks are for severe fetal anomalies.''
Now, our baby's diagnosis wasn't just severe; it was without any
glimmer of hope. Being told that that wriggling, alive, kicking child
in your stomach will certainly die doesn't just take the breath out of
your lungs, it is like hell screaming in your face, and it leads to
fear.
Miraculously, our doctors were wrong. We pushed forward with that
pregnancy and were successful. We had seen something that had never
happened before: my baby developed lungs in utero without kidneys. It
was an impossible outcome to the medical world at that time.
In good faith, our doctors had given us their honest, professional
opinions. But guess what. Doctors aren't infallible.
While we wouldn't have known this if we hadn't tried to overcome this
diagnosis--and through divine intervention and some amazing doctors who
were willing to charter new waters, literally--we now get to experience
our daughter, Abigail, who is holding the Bible for the swearing-in
standing next to me and Speaker Pelosi, a healthy, happy 5-year-old who
is a big sister. She says that some day she is going to be the boss of
Mommy's work.
Look out, Speaker Pelosi.
So since our story became public, I have talked to moms all over the
world who, like me, carried their babies into the second and third
trimesters hoping to deliver and then are given devastating diagnoses.
But what if the doctor is wrong about their babies, too?
Abigail was the first to survive her condition, but because of her
breakthrough, she is not the only survivor now.
Radical legislation in New York and Virginia has recently brought
late-term or partial-birth abortion into the spotlight. But what if we
used this discussion to go on the offensive against the potential
disease instead of attacking the pregnancy itself?
Some parents have been presented with scary prenatal tests that can
produce false alarms. These same earnest, loving, would-be parents have
made permanent decisions based on what could be incorrect information.
What if the baby won't have that significant health condition or
disability after all? Or even if she does, what about the loving
families eager to raise a child in anticipation of her living a full
and fulfilling life?
We got to hear Frank Stephens, an exceptionally joy-filled disability
champion with Down syndrome, describe, at a congressional hearing, how
he is a medical gift to society in that his extra chromosome might lead
to the answer to Alzheimer's. Science bears this out.
Our society celebrates the term, ``diversity.'' Shouldn't that mean
full diversity, which includes all physical and mental abilities, or
disabilities as some call it?
We step onto very shaky ground when we start deciding who lives or
dies based on one's abilities or, possibly, lack thereof in utero
because, despite our best intentions or the best intentions of the
messenger--doctor or otherwise--there is a limit to what science can
predict.
That is not naivete speaking. That is coming from the mom of a child
who was given a zero percent chance of survival based on, at the time,
sound science.
Now this kiddo has a full, adult life ahead of her, and those of us
who know her are privileged, immeasurably.
Do you know what? Every single child, regardless of their ability,
has that same potential if we only give them that chance.
I believe that care, understanding, and compassion are needed at
every stage of a woman's maternal journey. But to me, that means
empowering mothers to dwell in the realm of the possible, not the
impossible, even if it has never been tried before.
[[Page H1561]]
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Fourth
District of New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is the co-chair of the
Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, and I thank Representative
Chris Smith for his leadership and courage.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, what an expression of love,
compassion, and faith we just heard, the child who was thought to be
impossible; and what a tribute to parents and a mother who just love so
unconditionally.
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, two bioethicists, Dr. Alberto Giubilini and
Francesca Minerva, published an outrageous paper in the Journal of
Medical Ethics justifying the deliberate, premeditated murder of
newborn babies during the first hours, days, and even weeks after
birth. The ethicists said:
When circumstances occur after birth that would have
justified abortion, what we call after-birth abortion should
be permissible.
In other words, the same conditions that would justify the killing of
a baby in utero justifies the killing of that baby even when she is
born.
These two individuals made it clear that because the child does not
have dreams about the future at birth, that that somehow is a
disqualifier to personhood.
The infanticide that they proposed, Mr. Speaker, is here. After-birth
abortion is here.
A couple weeks ago, New York Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill to
allow abortion until birth and even removes penalties for infanticide.
Other States, including Virginia, Rhode Island, and New Mexico, have
similar anti-child statutes under consideration.
The violent assault on children, Mr. Speaker, must end. Not only have
61 million unborn babies been killed since 1973 by either
dismemberment--when a child is torn apart, arms, legs, and torso,
literally dismembered--or by chemical poisoning, a death toll that
equates with the entire population of Italy, the pro-choice crowd now
is legislating to extend the violence after birth.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot look away when a child's fundamental human
rights are being violated with such lethal actions. Pass the Born-Alive
Abortion Survivors Protection Act now. Mr. Speaker, give us that chance
to vote on this.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the
Second Congressional District of Alabama (Mrs. Roby).
Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I
thank the gentlewoman for leading this very, very Special Order
tonight.
This topic is critically important, especially in light of the
heartbreaking news we have already referenced that has come out of New
York and Virginia in recent weeks.
I want to start by thanking the gentlewoman from Washington for
standing up tonight and telling us her story. The gentlewoman does have
an amazing story and an amazing family: a loving husband, Dan; and
Ethan and Abigail.
This is a family, and so we know each other's children. I can tell
you, Mr. Speaker, that walking through that journey with the
gentlewoman as her friend and colleague has been so special to Riley,
to me, and to our children, Margaret and George, who love them just the
same.
So I thank the gentlewoman so much for standing on the floor tonight
and having the courage to tell her amazing story. It just means a lot.
So I thank the gentlewoman for that.
Of course, I was stunned to hear the boisterous cheering upon the New
York State Legislature's passage of a bill that would significantly
loosen restrictions on late-term abortions.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, the Democratic Governor recently threw his
support behind similar legislation and made comments that served as a
horrific defense of born-alive abortions.
For the purpose of tonight's discussion, we have got to call born-
alive abortion what it is, and it is infanticide.
Here in Congress, part of our job is to debate the issues. Our
dialogue surrounding legislation is a critically important component of
the democratic process in this country.
Still, no matter how our stances on abortion may vary, I hope we can
all agree that, if an abortion fails and a child is born alive, the
child must be given the same medical care that any other living,
breathing infant would otherwise be given.
I want to take this opportunity to reassure the people I represent in
Alabama that I remain unapologetically pro-life. I believe that life
begins at conception, and I am opposed to abortion at any stage.
I am severely disturbed that this country now requires written legal
provision to protect living babies. But, sadly, in the aftermath of
this news coming out of New York and Virginia, it is clear that this
step is immediately necessary.
That is why I am proud that the House of Representatives has wasted
no time in acting, and I especially appreciate my colleagues, Mr.
Scalise and Mrs. Wagner, who have been working tirelessly to force a
vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, a bill I
cosponsored that would protect babies who are born alive during failed
abortion procedures.
Again, to my colleague, I thank her so much for organizing and having
this special hour tonight. This is a critically important issue, and I
hope that we will continue to have these discussions not just tonight
but in the days moving forward.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from the Second
District of Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), who is the sponsor of H.R. 962, the
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend and
colleague, the gentlewoman from Indiana, Jackie Walorski. We are
classmates and came in to Congress almost 7 years ago. I am so grateful
to her for pulling this Special Order together tonight to talk about
the most vulnerable in our society and talk about the right to life.
To the gentlewoman from Washington State, I have to say her story
moves us all, and we are so excited about her growing family.
I cannot thank Mrs. Roby enough for her support, her passion, and her
dignity when it comes to supporting life--all of my colleagues who are
here with us tonight and stand with us on this legislation.
Above all, I want to say, Mr. Speaker, that I believe our President,
last week at the National Prayer Breakfast, said it best:
All children, born and unborn, are made in the holy image
of God. Every life is sacred, and every soul is a precious
gift from Heaven.
None of us could say it any better than that.
I never thought the time would come when I would have to actually
argue, fight, debate, and stand for providing healthcare to infants
after they are born. Yet here we are. There are, apparently, many
legislators who believe it is okay to allow a child to die after it has
been born.
When I first heard the news of State officials in New York and
Virginia believing that it is acceptable to limit healthcare for
newborn babies, I was horrified. But I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, it
is not just in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of New York.
In fact, only 26 States have affirmative protections for children born
alive after attempted abortions--only 26 States.
In fact, in recent days, Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Mexico are
considering legislation to loosen the late-term abortion restrictions
that have gone forward in Virginia and New York.
{time} 1730
In fact, New Mexico's House passed H.B. 51, which would effectively
permit abortions up until birth and eliminate all restrictions
thereafter.
To me, it is unthinkable that if a baby is born alive, anyone's first
instinct could be anything but to try to save that precious, innocent
life by any means possible.
Our babies are some of the most innocent, most vulnerable members of
our society, and it is our responsibility, our duty, our calling to
make sure that they are cared for.
Every year, babies survive late-term abortions and are left to die on
tables, in bedpans, in operating rooms. This should not happen in the
United States of America. It is a flagrant violation of our
Constitution and an offense against women and children.
I implore my colleagues to support our bill, H.R. 962, the Born-Alive
Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
[[Page H1562]]
Mr. Speaker, for the next 25 days, until we can put forward a
discharge petition, we will bring the born-alive act and ask for
unanimous consent that it be passed by the full House. This should not
be in question. This is a piece of legislation that was passed in the
115th Congress. We will do that the next 25 days until we can put
together a discharge petition and force it to a vote on the floor of
the United States House of Representatives.
Last week, I was told, when I offered the unanimous consent decree,
that it was the ``wrong time'' to fight for the most basic of human
rights. Well, Mr. Speaker, I say it is always the time to fight for
those who cannot fight for themselves. I ask my colleagues to join me,
join us, in this fight for innocent, newborn babies.
I thank the gentlewoman for her courage and her standing up for life.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends who are here, Jaime,
Representative Roby, and Representative Ann Wagner standing here, and I
reiterate the reason we are here is that we are serious about this.
I did the unanimous consent tonight and asked the Speaker to bring
that bill down right now and bring it to a vote.
This is an issue of what is right and what is wrong. This is an issue
where we have been able to rise up together tonight and speak for those
who not only can't speak for themselves but those that could
potentially be born alive in this country and given a lethal injection
by a doctor or some other medical professional.
What is going on in this country is absolutely horrific.
Mrs. WAGNER. Will the gentlewoman yield?
Mrs. WALORSKI. I yield to the gentlewoman.
Mrs. WAGNER. So we can have a bit of a colloquy here.
I can say that it does happen. Next week, in Missouri's Second
Congressional District, I have invited a guest. She will be traveling
from Kansas City to share her story. She was, in fact, a born-alive
baby after an attempted abortion through saline.
She will give her testimony about what her life has meant; that it
was saved; that, in fact, she was given that opportunity to live her
life and to follow in the ways of the Lord and to be productive to
society.
So this has happened, and we should do all we can.
Mrs. WALORSKI. It does happen. We are going to do all we can to
absolutely prevent this happening. I thank my colleagues who have
spoken so far.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence), my
friend and fellow Hoosier from Indiana's Sixth District.
Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reaffirm my unwavering
commitment to life, the protection of the unborn, and the protection of
those who survive the violence of the unborn.
The greatness of our free society can best be measured by how it
cares for the most vulnerable. I am deeply troubled by the efforts by
some to expand late-term abortion and remove any conceivable limits on
this horrific practice.
In the face of such an onslaught, let the miracles of conception,
pregnancy, and childbirth serve as a solemn reminder of the constant
fight for life. On this, there should be no question that Members of
Congress from both parties should agree to the fact that every child
born into this world has the right to live.
We must stand together for life and the unborn and protect those who
cannot protect themselves when handed abortion's death sentence.
I pray that one day each and every life, born and unborn, is
respected, valued, and given the chance to pursue his or her dreams.
That is why I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 962.
We must never, ever give up in the fight for life.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to my friend from the Second
District of Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for
yielding to me.
I rise to join my colleagues in advocating for the unborn. This
country was founded to preserve our inalienable rights: life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness. Abortion, the murder of innocent
children, cannot coexist with our fundamental beliefs. Late-term
abortion is particularly brutal. It includes tearing limbs from bodies
and stopping beating hearts.
Only seven countries, including China and North Korea, have legalized
this practice. The United States, Mr. Speaker, should not be in that
same category as known human rights abusers.
Proponents of abortion claim pro-life policy is an attack on women's
rights, but doctors have determined late-term abortions, Mr. Speaker,
endanger the mother more than giving birth. The best way to protect
women's rights is to protect life.
I close with a little story. Before my mama left this Earth to meet
her savior, she was in and out of consciousness, Mr. Speaker. At one
point, she had talked to her father, who had passed away long before
her, and her brother, who had passed away in the Second World War, and
my daddy, who had gone before her just a couple years prior.
She was looking off into the corner, and I said: What are you looking
at, mama?
She said: Baby, I am looking at all those sweet little babies up
there.
Mr. Speaker, I firmly believe that my mother was looking at some
babies that had been murdered.
I urge my colleagues to stand with me to protect the unborn. By doing
so, we defend the inalienable rights of all Americans.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from the Fifth
District of North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).
Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the
distinguished Member from Indiana, Congresswoman Walorski, for leading
this Special Order tonight and all my colleagues who are here to affirm
life.
Mr. Speaker, abortion advocates used to say they wanted abortion to
be ``safe, legal, and rare.'' Now, abortion advocates have reached new
levels of disregard for new human lives by openly promoting
infanticide. And legislation that would prohibit doctors from leaving
born-alive infants to die cannot even get a vote under this new
majority in this House of Representatives.
Bills such as the Reproductive Health Act, RHA, which was recently
passed with celebration in New York, are starkly at odds with
reasonable limits on abortion that most Americans support and exposes
the extreme agenda of the pro-abortion movement. The RHA would expand
upon Roe v. Wade's already wide protections for access to abortion.
In New York, an abortionist no longer needs be a licensed physician.
If an abortion is not successful and the child is born alive, the law
offers no protections for the life of the baby. It is almost
unthinkable, Mr. Speaker. Such a horrifying bill should be met with
disgust and outrage, not celebrated.
It is clear that the value of life has eroded in our culture. Without
a society that questions, ``What are the rights of the unborn?''
legislators can use their power to eliminate the right to life and
promote the idea that life is dispensable.
Proponents of the New York and similar Virginia legislation should
ask whether these policies truly reflect a society where women are
valued or where unwanted babies are worthy of protection.
In a culture where aborted babies are collateral damage in so-called
women's healthcare, we should all fear that, following unborn children
and newborns, there will soon be new targets for disposal.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to my friend from the First
District of Kansas (Mr. Marshall).
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, since I was a freshman in high school, I wanted to
become a physician. I was blessed to get to do that. By the time of my
second year in medical school, my wife and I had our first daughter,
and most of us were trying to decide what type of doctor we were going
to be. The moment that little girl was born, I knew that I wanted to
spend my medical career delivering babies.
I think my wife can attest that, for the next 30 years of my life,
most of my waking moments were spent with somebody in labor. I was so
blessed to get to participate in that wonderful moment.
[[Page H1563]]
I was blessed to get to go to Congress and represent the people of
Kansas.
I woke up a couple weeks ago to the cheering of State legislators
from New York and their Governor. I turned up the volume to see what
the fuss was. The fuss was they were celebrating their ability to
murder the same babies that I had been trying to protect and deliver
for the last 30 years of my life.
I don't think there are any Americans--I have never met such an
American--who would think that it is right to murder a baby moments,
days, or weeks before its due date. It is the most barbaric law I have
ever heard of in our society.
If this wasn't enough, I turned the news on a week later, and now
they are talking about murdering babies after they were born from so-
called failed abortions.
I cannot believe that I live in a society that would even think about
this. So I went to my office the next day, and I got my staff together
and said, look, we have got some legislation that is going to take care
of this. We have our born survivor abortion bill that protects babies
after they are born, and then we have a pain-capable bill as well to
protect babies who are able to feel pain from being aborted.
My staff looked at me: Right, we have got that legislation.
I said: All we will need is 20 or 30 Democrats to sign on to this.
Surely, the Speaker of the House is against late-term abortion. Surely,
she is against infanticide.
My staff looked at me with bewildered eyes and said: Congressman, I
don't think we are going to find any Democrats to do that.
I wanted to talk a second about the moms, too. No one is talking
about how horrible this is going to be for mothers. Moms are going to
die from these late-term abortions. As an obstetrician, I never did an
abortion, but guess who takes care of complications from abortions. It
is obstetricians.
I remember the first week I was in residency. I was called to the
emergency room, and there before me was a lady in shock. I apologize if
this is too graphic, but the situation is so graphic, I have to tell
you the details.
This young lady was bleeding out buckets of blood. I found out what
had happened is she just had had an abortion done hours before, and now
she was hemorrhaging.
I looked at the nurse. I said: What is going on here?
I knew that we needed to take her to the operating room. We found out
during the procedure that a piece of that baby was still inside her
uterus, and the uterus couldn't clamp down, so she was hemorrhaging.
This is a story I would see over and over again. The later the
abortion procedure is done in the pregnancy, the more often we are
going to see this. People are going to get perforated uteri. It will be
catastrophic for women.
Mr. Speaker, we can't allow this to continue.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the
Fourth District of Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler), a great friend of mine who
stands for life every single day that she is here.
Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman's leadership
in bringing this subject up here to the floor, to the American people,
and to our colleagues.
It is deeply disturbing to see what is happening across this country,
as life is no longer valued and babies are allowed to be killed, their
lives snuffed out in the final moments before they are born and after
they are born.
Like my colleague from Kansas before me, I was shocked when I turned
on my TV, very similarly--and I am sure there are people all across
this country who did that--to see the Governor of New York sitting at
his table signing this bill and having all these women celebrate it and
then even having a building in New York City lit up in honor of this
celebration. But what were they celebrating?
{time} 1745
They were celebrating not only the demise of human lives in late-term
abortion, when, as Dr. Marshall said, they could be born alive in a
hospital and given medical care, and have a productive, full life; they
could have permission to have that life snuffed out; but then to have
the death, perhaps, of the woman as well, at the hands of that
procedure.
A lot of people are unfamiliar of how a late-term abortion is done
and what these individuals in New York were celebrating. It is graphic,
but people need to know what happens.
The woman's uterus is dilated, and forceps are put in there, and a
limb of the baby, in the womb, is grabbed hold of. Steel forceps grab
hold. They find a leg or they find an arm. They clamp down, and they
pull and they pull until it rips off, and they pull out the leg and
they put it in the tray.
And they go in again and they find the other leg. They pull and they
rip it off and pull it out.
And then they go in for the arm, and then they pull that out. They
pull out the other arm. And then they go in and crush the skull and
suck it out.
Now, if this doesn't turn your stomach, America, I don't know what
does. And that we could be celebrating this in parts of the country is
just not only tragic, it is barbaric, and it has to be stopped.
So that is why, here in Congress, we are trying to pass the Born-
Alive Infants Protection Act, to stand up and to say, we are better
than this as a country. That is not what America is about; that our
Founders established this country and the basic rights of all who are
created by our Creator, and that is the right to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.
We want to make sure every American can live out that American Dream,
the ones who have the privilege of being born and the ones who, right
now, people are celebrating, unborn. We want everybody to have that
opportunity of life.
I call on all my colleagues and everyone across this country to rise
up and say, now, now is the time that we stop this, and we set up a new
path for America that values every life.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for leading this.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire on the time
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Indiana has 26\1/4\
minutes remaining.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from Utah's Second
District, Representative Chris Stewart.
Mr. STEWART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for chairing this
Special Order.
You listen to our colleagues, and it is hard to listen to this and
not just feel overwhelmed by it. Some things are so emotional and some
things are so obvious that there are times when you just speak from the
heart.
One week ago tonight, little baby Dawson was born to my family, a
beautiful little baby boy, my sixth grandson. It is unbelievable to me
that someone would argue that you could take that child, moments before
birth, pull him from his mother's protection, and destroy that life,
take away any chance he has of having any happiness in this world, take
away any chance he has of being loved in this world; that you would
suggest that and not call it evil.
That we could have this conversation like the Virginia Governor who
said, Well, we'll take that infant; we'll make them comfortable while
we decide how we are going to kill it. How could you have that
conversation and not call it evil?
If you think that is okay, go make that argument to the American
people. But while you are making that argument, be honest. Yes, this is
a baby. Yes, it is moments from birth; in some cases the child has been
delivered. It is alive, laying there before you. Yes, you are going to
kill it.
Most Americans find that repulsive. Most Americans find it
unbelievable that we are having this conversation. Most Americans find
it evil.
Please help us save these children.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from Florida's
Fourth District, Representative John Rutherford.
Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for
yielding, and I appreciate this opportunity to speak for life.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today because there are actually elected leaders
in this country, in the United States of America, who believe a baby
can be left
[[Page H1564]]
to die after having been born alive. How is this even a debate in the
United States of America?
When did murder become a partisan issue?
Some on the other side of the aisle call this ``parental choice'' and
``healthcare.''
But, Mr. Speaker, I tell you that infanticide is murder, not
healthcare. And abortion is not the answer to a pre-born child's
physical or mental disability.
But don't just take it from me. Listen to the words of Mr. Frank
Stephens, who was actually born with Down syndrome and leads a
remarkable life, a life worth living.
He had this to say about abortion: ``On abortion, I don't want to
make it illegal. I want to make it unthinkable. Politicians change
laws. I want to change people's hearts.''
Mr. Speaker, I want to partner with Frank Stephens because I believe
that we can do both, making late-term abortion unthinkable, and
illegal.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my fellow Hoosier from
Indiana's Fourth District, Representative Jim Baird.
Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the gentlewoman, and I
appreciate all her efforts regarding this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I rise here today to voice a concern over the actions
taking place in New York, Virginia, and across the country that
directly threaten the sanctity of life. These proposals are far beyond
what Hoosiers in my community, and most folks around the country,
believe is right.
That is why I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion
Survivors Protection Act. This legislation will make it illegal to kill
babies that are born alive after surviving an attempted abortion.
The degradation of life in this country is deeply concerning.
Congress needs to step up and do what is right. The extreme views of
some should not overwhelm the commonsense majority of millions of
Americans.
Protecting the sanctity of life is something I will continue to fight
for, to ensure that those without a voice can be heard and their lives
spared.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from Michigan's
Seventh District, Representative Tim Walberg.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for taking on this
issue.
When we have heard words such as the Governor of Virginia and others
who would say that it is okay for a male Governor of Virginia to make a
statement; but generally, men should not be talking about something
that is only given to women to talk about because it is about their
bodies, about their lives. Well, it is. But I think we need to talk as
well.
And if it is not me who should talk, I would like to read for you the
statements of another individual who, I think, expresses all I would
want to say this evening. And I will read just a few excerpts from an
article he wrote.
He said: ``Do you want us to let him go?''
``Those were the first words that were spoken over me as I came into
the world. Those were the words of my delivery room doctor as he held
my armless and lifeless body in his arms. As he assessed me and my
situation, all he could tell my parents is that I was `not viable.'
Those were the words of Daniel Ritchie as he spoke about his birth.
He said: ``Not bad for a kid that wasn't supposed to lead a full
life.''
And why did he say that? He says: ``It has now been almost 35 years
since those words were spoken over me and a lot has happened since
then. By God's grace, I was revived. . . . I learned to feed myself,
dress myself, write, type, and drive, all with my feet. I graduated
from high school with honors and double majored in college. I met the
girl of my dreams, got married 13 years ago, and we have two beautiful
kids. Now I am a sought after speaker who shares his story at
conferences, churches, schools, colleges and with corporations across
the country.
Not bad for a kid that wasn't supposed to lead a full life.''
Viability and independence are terrible indicators of life.
``I am no less of a man because of my two vacant sleeves. I am a
perfect creation crafted by the hands of a careful Creator. I am not
the sum of my missing parts. I am a man that God has made with talents,
gifts, and abilities. Just like any person who is born blind, deaf, or
paralyzed has the same sort of giftings.''
He ended by saying this: ``We are all made in God's image. We are all
given talents and abilities. We are all worth being given a chance at
life, no matter how small the chance may be, and I am the living
example of that.
``My armless life is worth living, and I am beyond thankful my
parents saw that on day one.'' And he was viable.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from South
Carolina's Fifth District, Ralph Norman.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise my voice for those who
have no voice.
You know, while we may have disagreements in this Chamber, I never
thought I would have to come to this floor for this reason, to denounce
the killing of children after they have been born. But I am here today
because one of our Nation's governors has endorsed infanticide in all
but name.
Even though the media may be distracted by the Governor's latest
scandal, I refuse to allow this atrocity to be ignored. It is wrong,
plain and simple.
I wish to live in a nation where we respect the sanctity of all human
life; where condemning the murder of a child is not for debate, but a
matter of course. Until then, I will not stand by silently. I will
continue to call out those who attempt to corrupt our values, whether
through State laws allowing abortion on demand or Governors commending
abortion.
These actions do not represent the values of the American people.
They represent the views of a small but powerful group of ideologues
with no respect for the sanctity of life or the rights of the
voiceless.
I find it bizarre that the party of birthright citizenship will not
endorse the birthright to life.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from West Virginia's
Third District, Representative Carol Miller.
Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand for life.
I am a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. I have felt life quicken in
my womb. I know the blessing of children, all of whom are created in
God's image. And that is why I am so saddened by the pro-abortion
discussions taking place around the country and in places like New
York, Virginia, and others, where State legislatures are debating and
legalizing abortion all the way up to birth and, in some cases, after a
child is born.
I am sickened that laws are being written which allow for a baby who
survives an abortion attempt to no longer receive support and care once
they are born. This is infanticide. There is no other way to say it.
This is an affront to life.
We must demand more from our country and our citizens. We must ensure
protections for the youngest and most innocent of our citizens, both
inside and outside the womb. We must take care of those who cannot take
care of themselves. We must take care of our children. We must take
care of and respect and cherish life.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from Ohio's Sixth
District, Representative Bill Johnson.
Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, as a proud father of four and a
grandfather of six, I rise today in strong support of those who cannot
defend themselves, the most innocent and defenseless among us, the
unborn.
{time} 1800
I share the pro-life views of those I serve in eastern and
southeastern Ohio.
A few weeks ago, many Ohioans joined more than 100,000 pro-life
Americans at the annual March for Life here in Washington, D.C.
Although, with so little national media coverage of this major event,
some may have missed this passionate and growing movement made up of
men and women, boys and girls from all walks of life.
Recently, we have witnessed the inhuman policies introduced by
multiple States permitting late-term abortions, even, unbelievably, all
the way up to birth.
It is past time that Congress pass legislation banning this horrific
practice.
[[Page H1565]]
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues on both sides to reject
infanticide and defend the sanctity of human life.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from
Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), my friend from Washington's Fifth District.
Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues this afternoon in
celebrating the dignity and the value of every human life.
I am a mom of three young kids, Cole, Grace, and Brynn, and I can
testify that becoming a mom, bringing a life into the world, is the
most amazing thing ever.
With technology today, we can look into the womb; we can see day by
day how a baby is developing. It is a miracle to witness and it is
proof that we as human beings are not defined by our limits. We are
empowered by the potential that we have and who we can become.
So, Mr. Speaker, I am frightened and I am heartbroken that anyone
would oppose the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act led by
Congresswoman Ann Wagner.
Just as the science is undeniable, it should be unthinkable to deny
lifesaving care to a newborn baby.
We have amazing technology. We can do more than ever. It is
limitless.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues across the aisle to take a step
back, to look at the science, and let this bill come to the floor. It
is the right thing to do.
You know, since our founding, we have been a country that cherishes
every person's inalienable human right, and it is the right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is in all of us to uphold
those values and ensure that we are protecting the dignity of every
person as God intended.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Jackie Walorski for her
leadership. I thank her for bringing us all together so that we could
be warriors of human dignity and human value.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would again inquire how much time I
have remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 11 minutes remaining.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. LaHood), my friend from Illinois's 18th District.
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I want to say thanks to Mrs. Walorski, my
colleague on the Ways and Means Committee, for yielding to me and for
her leadership in putting together this Special Order and her tireless
fight for life.
Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today in defense of life and the
unborn. Over the last few weeks, we have witnessed extreme abortion
views pushed in States across the country.
In New York, the State legislature passed and the Governor signed
into law an abortion bill so broad it effectively allows abortion on
demand until birth while removing protections for infants born alive
during an abortion. Barbaric legislation such as this is nothing to
cheer about.
In Virginia, the Governor tried to soften the blow of his infanticide
endorsement by saying ``the infant would be kept comfortable'' while a
decision was made on whether to abort the infant.
These disturbing and extreme trends seeping into the mainstream of
the Democratic platform underscore the need for its leaders in Congress
to stand up, to fight for life in the face of these abhorrent actions.
Now more than ever, leaders in Washington need to stand up for life.
I stand committed with the millions of pro-life advocates around the
country to make sure infanticide is condemned and the voiceless are
given a voice.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North
Carolina (Mr. Walker), my friend from North Carolina's Sixth District.
Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Walorski, Jackie, if
I may, for her leadership and showing courage on this important topic.
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act protects the lives
of babies who survive abortions by requiring the healthcare
practitioner to save the life of the baby. Sounds pretty much like
common sense, doesn't it?
I am a proud cosponsor of Ms. Ann Wagner's bill fighting for the
sanctity of life.
As a former pastor, I value each and every life that is brought into
this world, and that is why it is imperative that we pass this
legislation and put an end to the senseless murders of innocent babies.
Earlier this week, I asked for unanimous consent, before being
gaveled out, to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
to the House floor for a vote. Unfortunately, my Democratic colleagues
put their party leadership and affiliation over voting for what is
morally right.
The statistics are staggering. In just looking at a few States, we
found 25 children that were born alive that survived a botched abortion
just in 2017. It is concerning to think how much higher those numbers
would be if we looked throughout the entire country.
Simply put, I stand with 80 percent of Americans who support
legislation to protect the life of a baby who survives a failed
abortion.
At a time when States like New York and Virginia are matching
abortion laws of North Korea in making it easier to perform abortions
until the birth of a child, it is absolutely necessary for us to stand
in unity and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Allen), my friend from Georgia's 12th District.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Walorski for her
efforts in organizing this important Special Order.
You know, Mr. Speaker, as the proud father of four and grandfather of
13, I rise here this evening, joined by many of my Republican
colleagues, to recognize that we have a moral duty and obligation to
protect the most vulnerable among us: those who cannot yet protect or
speak for themselves.
But as we stand here tonight, Democrats in State legislatures across
the country are celebrating legislation to deny medical care to an
innocent baby who is born alive after a failed abortion. We cannot
stand idly by and allow this to happen.
How have we come to this point in our country where infanticide is
something we disagree on? Each and every one of us has a right to life,
even an innocent newly born gift from God, and I will continue to stand
up and fight for that right to life every step of the way.
We must continue to be proactive in bringing commonsense pro-life
legislation to the House floor. I hope to have an opportunity to offer
my full support for these bills and protect the sanctity of life.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Olson), my friend from Texas' 22nd District.
Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Missouri for yielding
to me.
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, Ashley and Toribio Cardenas got the best news
parents can hear: they are going to have a baby girl.
They got an ultrasound at 16 weeks. They saw the outlines of their
new daughter, Audrina. She was gorgeous. They had pure joy.
Right after they left, the sonographer rushes to call the
obstetrician. This little gift from God has ectopia cordis. Her heart
is outside of her body. Sixteen human beings out of 1 million have this
condition, and it is usually fatal.
The doctors tell Ashley she has two choices: either abort Audrina or
keep going and pray for the best.
Ashley had to act quickly, because Texas law prohibited abortion
after 20 weeks. This happened at 17 weeks.
She felt Audrina in her womb kicking and thriving, and she thought:
``Who wants to take a life away? Who wants to stop a beating heart?''
That is true love.
Audrina was born alive. Ashley saw her, gave her a kiss, and then she
was rushed off to the cardiac intensive care room for babies, the ICU.
Little Audrina had surgery the very next day.
Here is a picture of her I printed out in the hospital; that
beautiful young girl, her heart behind that plate.
Her first year of life, there are wires everywhere. She was on oxygen
and had to eat through a feeding tube.
But here that beautiful girl is today with a sign that says:
``#speaknowforkids.''
[[Page H1566]]
This is a sign for Audrina and for every kid facing abortion.
Congress, American people, speak now for the kids. Support the bill,
the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Don't kill babies.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues for
joining me this evening to stand up for the most vulnerable among us.
We stand together to defend the sanctity of life, to speak out
against a radical anti-life agenda that would effectively legalize
infanticide.
I have long fought to defend the unborn, but I am shocked that I now
have to defend the right to life of newborn infants. These precious
children are in peril, their rights are under attack, their lives are
under attack, and this House has the responsibility to act.
Tonight the American people heard our call to action. It is time to
vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Will the
leadership of this House listen or will the Democratic majority
continue to allow this march toward legalized infanticide?
If we don't send a strong message that every baby has been endowed by
its creator with inalienable rights, that we are not defending the
fundamental principles of the Constitution, if we don't protect these
children from harm, we are abandoning the basic truth of our humanity.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for standing with me here
tonight. I urge the support of House bill H.R. 962, the Born-Alive
Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and to stand against infanticide.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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