[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H2822-H2824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            COMMEMORATING WORLD DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, on March 21, our country and the world 
celebrated World Down Syndrome Awareness Day.
  This afternoon, I am happy to lead my colleagues in recognizing this 
important day and all of the contributions individuals with Down 
syndrome make each day to families, businesses, schools, and 
communities. From brothers and sisters to employees and businessowners, 
to artists and models, people with Down syndrome have an incredible 
impact on every part of society. They deserve our support, 
understanding, and full acceptance.
  Thankfully, there are many groups and programs that have made it 
their mission to support individuals with Down syndrome and their 
families.
  As Kansas State treasurer, I advocated for passage of the Federal 
ABLE Act and led the effort to implement it in Kansas.
  It is kind of one of those things that, several years ago, I didn't 
necessarily expect that I was going to be standing here today; so I was 
going through the process of how do we lobby, how do we make sure that 
a good program gets passed through the Federal legislative process that 
benefits so many people, and then having to take that initiative in my 
home State of Kansas and work through the legislature and making sure 
that we implemented it to help people's quality of life and enable them 
to live the lives that they wanted to live and make it more beneficial 
for them.
  This important law created tax-free savings accounts for individuals 
with disabilities to cover expenses like healthcare, education, 
housing, and transportation. It is important for parents raising a 
child to be able to help provide their care.
  Obviously, the concern on the part of parents is that, over years, 
particularly as the parents age, they want to make sure that their 
children, in some cases when they are in their adult life, are able to 
enjoy the life that they want and the life that they deserve. A program 
like ABLE is able to help make that dream come true.
  These programs are similar to the 529 college savings programs, 
health savings accounts, and individual retirement accounts. The ABLE 
accounts

[[Page H2823]]

give people with Down syndrome and other disabilities the opportunities 
to live the life they deserve.
  The Kansas ABLE Act went into effect in January 2017. I was proud to 
be part of that effort because it is the right thing to do.
  In Congress, I have been humbled to work with organizations like the 
National Down Syndrome Society to build upon the progress of the ABLE 
Act. Last year, I was honored to receive the 2018 National Down 
Syndrome Society Impact Award and look forward to supporting the 
mission in this Congress.
  This year, I am also honored to be on the honorary committee for the 
AcceptAbility Gala, hosted by the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, an 
annual event in Washington, D.C., that supports lifesaving research and 
medical care for children and adults with Down syndrome.
  Back home in Kansas, I am also inspired by groups like the Arc of 
Sedgwick County, which supports individuals living with intellectual 
and developmental disabilities, including Down syndrome.
  Just as each of these groups, among numerous others, supports those 
with Down syndrome, it is my hope that, in Congress, we can do the same 
thing.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to discussing this more today, but, at 
this time, I am happy to yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Stauber).
  Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of World Down Syndrome 
Awareness Day, which was Thursday, March 21.
  One of the greatest blessings in my life is my 16-year-old son, 
Isaac, who has Down syndrome. Each day, he brings joy to our lives, and 
I am so proud of everything he has accomplished.
  World Down Syndrome Awareness Day is an excellent opportunity to 
raise awareness about the challenges that Down syndrome brings, but it 
is also a chance to celebrate just how incredible people with Down 
syndrome truly are. It absolutely breaks my heart--just breaks my 
heart--when I hear some people say that they would rather get an 
abortion than have a child with Down syndrome.
  The sheer ignorance of those individuals is disheartening to me. They 
do not see what a blessing all of God's children are, even if they are 
different, and that is unfortunate for them. If they met my son Isaac, 
I know they would have a change of heart.
  When we talk about disabilities, I want us to talk about the 
abilities of those like my son Isaac. Instead of focusing on what they 
can't do, let's focus on what they can do.
  The limit to what people like Isaac can accomplish is not determined 
by their condition but by how much we love them and give them the 
empowerment so they can navigate the world of work, education, and 
public life.
  As Isaac's dad and now as a Member of Congress, I am committed to 
strongly advocating for the inclusiveness of those who live with 
disabilities and the protection of their lives, always.
  Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Stauber for those 
comments.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important for us, as Representatives, to actually 
stand up for what we think is important. Obviously, as parents, we all 
care about our children. We want to make sure they get the best 
opportunities that they can, and, as elected Representatives, one of 
the reasons I ran for office was to make sure that we could have an 
impact and make sure that we could make a difference in people's lives.
  When I look at the role of the Federal Government, one of the things 
that is most important for us is making sure that we can help those 
individuals live out the life that is embedded in our Constitution and 
Declaration of Independence and having the right to life, liberty, and 
the pursuit of happiness, people having that opportunity to live and 
enjoy all the blessings of this great country.

  We can talk a lot about different issues, and there are, obviously, 
lots of us here in the Halls of Congress who want to talk about some of 
those issues. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Hill), my good friend, who wants to weigh in on this subject as well.
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Kansas for 
yielding. I appreciate him organizing an opportunity to come to the 
House floor and talk about this important issue.
  As the father of two children, I have been committed to policies for 
a safe and enduring future for all kids and understand that we have to 
ensure the protection of kids no matter what their walk in life, 
particularly those with developmental disabilities.
  Mr. Speaker, over 200,000 in the United States live with Down 
syndrome, and one in 792 babies is born with this genetic disorder. 
While there have been great advances in medical research and public 
policy to enhance the lives of those affected by Down syndrome, there 
is still much work to be done.
  Individuals with disabilities face many challenges, and I understand 
the need to ensure access to vital services and medical equipment to 
support independent and active lives. This is critical to help 
effectively live with Down syndrome. Getting our kids the proper 
development path at a young age helps them ensure they will be 
healthier adults with a bright future.
  For over 20 years, I have watched with such pleasure young people 
begin to build that proper developmental path at Access Academy in 
Little Rock or Easter Seals Academy at Riverdale.
  As a former member of the board of directors of Arkansas Children's 
Hospital, I saw firsthand how important it was that parents are given 
the tools they need to keep their children healthy. This is 
particularly important for families who have a child with a disability.
  Back in 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law, 
the Americans with Disabilities Act. I was proud to have been working 
on President Bush's staff at that time. It was an amazing piece of 
legislative work that brought this Congress together and that has 
benefited thousands and millions of Americans and families since.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to build upon that 
legislation so that all Americans can reach their full potential, no 
matter what challenges they face. I will continue to support efforts 
that provide services to individuals and families who are impacted by 
Down syndrome.
  Regardless of political ideology, I think we can all agree that every 
single child deserves protection. When I think about the kids over the 
past two decades whom I have watched grow up, who had incredibly 
nurturing parents who got them on that developmental path in the right 
way, who sacrificed so that they had that opportunity to talk about 
what my colleague did, the pursuit of happiness, and I see them smiling 
at workplaces when I visit in Conway, North Little Rock, and Little 
Rock, that they have a job, that they are out working, that they have 
that self-sufficiency and excitement of the work they do, it gives me 
such a warm feeling to see their success with all the hard work they 
have put into that pursuit of happiness.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I have to say, and I don't think it should be 
left unsaid today, that a right to abortion should not extend to 
children with traits deemed undesirable or inconvenient. Would we throw 
away a life so casually if a child had the wrong color eyes or off-
texture hair? Of course not.
  If a child does not fit the physical or developmental ideals of their 
parents, they should be treated with the same degree of medical 
attention, love, and care as any other child. As a proud Catholic and 
proud pro-life Member of Congress, I believe we need to value life.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Kansas for hosting this important 
event today to talk about Down syndrome, the love we have for our 
American citizens who live with Down syndrome, and the affection we 
have and support we have for their families.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Hill).
  It is tremendous to be able to work with representatives like him 
that have a goal to focus on: how do we make life better? How do we 
provide opportunities for individuals?
  You touched on a sad part in society today where so many people seem 
to think that it is right that just because of some particular trait 
that the parents don't necessarily like, that they are able to kill 
individuals because of that through abortion.

[[Page H2824]]

  When we are talking about Down syndrome and awareness of that, you 
know, it is a sad fact that we have got to address this issue. We have 
got to address that extreme discrimination that some individuals that 
want to impress upon those people who may have Down syndrome even 
before they have a chance to live a life.
  In the United States, two-thirds--67 percent--of babies diagnosed 
with Down syndrome while in the womb are aborted.
  In Europe, it is even worse. In France, the rate is 77 percent. In 
Denmark, it is 98 percent. And in Iceland, it is nearly 100 percent, 
where late-term abortions are allowed if the baby has a deformity, 
which includes Down syndrome, to quote a CBS News article.
  In a society where Down syndrome individuals can have a wonderful 
quality of life and pursue their dreams, this discrimination needs to 
be brought to light.
  We live during a time when there is so much medical innovation, so 
many opportunities, so many brilliant things that our doctors are 
developing, we need to make sure that we capitalize on that innovation, 
make sure that we allow people the opportunity to live a full life and 
live the opportunities that they enjoy.
  This innovation, unfortunately, has been used by individuals to 
determine the sex, determine if the child is healthy, determine if the 
child has certain traits; and in some cases, for positive reasons, to 
determine whether there is some medical necessity to operate while in 
the womb to make sure that that individual--that child--enjoys quality 
of life.
  However, we need to make sure that that testing process never gets 
corrupted, never gets used in a discriminatory way, and it is never 
used to justify abortion.
  It is a sad fact that we are seeing so many things being talked about 
in the abortion arena nowadays, and so many people beating that drum.
  We have got to stand up, you know, in our country. We want to be able 
to stand up for people's rights and we want to be able to stand up for 
the opportunities for babies to live and have the opportunity to live a 
life that we all will enjoy as well.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), my fellow 
colleague, the opportunity to speak and talk about this very important 
issue.
  Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my great colleague from the State of 
Kansas.
  Mr. Speaker, on March 21, we celebrated World Down Syndrome Awareness 
Day. What an appropriate thing to celebrate as folks with Down syndrome 
make incredible contributions to society every single day that should 
be acknowledged and appreciated.
  I, for one, am thankful for all of those with Down syndrome that I 
have had the great pleasure and honor of knowing and learning from.
  With the rise of prenatal screening tests across the United States, 
the number of babies born with Down syndrome every year has 
significantly decreased. And while we do not know the exact number of 
Down syndrome children who are aborted each year, it is estimated that 
approximately two-thirds of children diagnosed in the womb are aborted.
  Two-thirds of children who would go on to make a significant impact 
in this world are murdered before they are given a chance to even be 
able to have that opportunity.
  Iceland, in particular, has almost completely eradicated Down 
syndrome births.
  Statistics show that they have an almost 100 percent termination rate 
of Down syndrome children.
  France has a 77 percent termination rate; while Denmark is at 98 
percent.
  I pray that the United States will reject the idea that Down syndrome 
children somehow are less than other children. As a society, we should 
move away from any idea that advocates killing any child in its 
mother's womb. And as a pro-life Congressman, I believe that all life 
is valuable, especially the lives of those who cannot speak for 
themselves.
  Aborted Down syndrome children are just that, they are children who 
have their own hopes and dreams for a future and to live a long, 
healthy life. To take away their right to life is inconceivable to me 
and abhorrent.
  I will continue to fight for legislation that protects every single 
unborn child, regardless of whether or not they have an extra 
chromosome.
  Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Babin, and I 
appreciate those words.
  Mr. Speaker, we, as fellow colleagues, have such an important role 
trying to work on how we bring forth those American principles and 
opportunities for everybody.
  In recent months, we have seen politicians from States around the 
country embrace late-term abortions and openly discuss infanticide. 
Individuals with Down syndrome would be among the most severely 
impacted by these tragic policies.
  To help respond to that, my colleagues and I have repeatedly called 
to bring forward the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to 
the floor for a vote.
  This straightforward bill would require healthcare practitioners to 
give the same care to a child who has survived a botched abortion just 
as they would any other newborn child.
  Apparently, the bill has 182 cosponsors.
  Unfortunately, a vote on the bill has been blocked 21 times now by 
the majority.
  However, as we rise to commemorate World Down Syndrome Day, I call on 
my colleagues to consider this bill and any other one that would 
protect life and support those with Down syndrome.
  There are 250,000 people in America with Down syndrome. They live 
healthy, productive, happy lives, just like you and I do, and want to 
have the same hopes and dreams and goals.
  We need more awareness of what a diagnosis of Down syndrome really 
means. It means that a child simply has an extra chromosome and that 
nothing else about their life is different from you or me.
  They have so much to contribute to this world, and they deserve that 
chance.
  Last year, I had the chance to meet David Egan. David is a fellow 
working for the National Down Syndrome Society, and previously worked 
for the House Ways and Means Committee.
  When I met him, he told me how much he wanted to help others with 
Down syndrome accomplish anything they wanted to do, just as he has 
done in his own life and career.
  I am inspired by people like David, and I want to thank my colleagues 
who join me today for this Special Order recognizing World Down 
Syndrome Day.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with Congress to support those 
with Down syndrome, and with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________