[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H281-H287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE 47TH ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, next week tens of thousands of 
women and men from around the country will March For Life, making clear 
to the country and to the world that women and unborn babies deserve 
the utmost respect, love, and protection from the violence of abortion.
  Sadly, Mr. Speaker, since 1973 over 61 million unborn babies have 
been killed by either dismemberment, a procedure where the child is 
decapitated and torn apart arms, legs, and torso or by chemical 
poisoning. The loss of children's lives in America is staggering, a 
death toll that equates with the entire population of Italy.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana, 
Congressman   Jim Banks, who has been a leader in defending the 
innocent and most vulnerable.

[[Page H282]]

  

  Mr. BANKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for 
his tireless efforts on behalf of the unborn.
  Mr. Speaker, although the ruling in Roe v. Wade significantly altered 
the fabric of our Nation, Hoosiers will never stop marching in defense 
of the fundamental right to life.
  In my corner of the State of Indiana in the northeast corner of the 
State, we have one of the most active and robust pro-life organizations 
in the country, the Allen County Right To Life.
  Mr. Speaker, the Allen County Right To Life works every day to 
advance the cause of life at our State house in Indianapolis and the 
courts and in our own community. I am excited to share today that they 
will soon be incorporating the counties of Adams, DeKalb, LaGrange, 
Noble, Steuben, and Wells Counties to join forces under the name Right 
to Life of Northeast Indiana.
  Indiana is now considered the sixth pro-life State in the country. 
The remarkable progress in Indiana over these last 4 decades would not 
have been possible without the steadfast support of this organization 
and pro-life champions like Cathie Humbarger.
  Mr. Speaker, each year the Allen County Right To Life leads an annual 
bus trip to Washington for the National March for Life, and this year 
they will be descending on our Nation's capitol with a record-breaking 
650 pro-life students and advocates from northeast Indiana, and I could 
not be prouder.
  Mr. Speaker, this incredible organization is also expecting a record-
breaking 2,500 Hoosiers at the 2020 Northeast Indiana March for Life in 
Fort Wayne this coming Saturday. And I will be marching alongside those 
2,500 Hoosiers back home in Fort Wayne to honor those of whom never had 
the chance to march for themselves.
  I believe that all life is sacred, and I ask that all Americans 
wherever you are in the country to join me in marching to reaffirm this 
principle.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his 
eloquent comments and reminding us of the great progress being made at 
the State level where so many laws and policies have been enacted, and 
we are trying to do that on the Federal level.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Alabama, Martha Roby, a 
member of the Appropriations Committee and the Judiciary Committee.

                              {time}  1815

  Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Smith for leading this 
Special Order.
  The topic that we are here to discuss tonight is one of the utmost 
importance. Of course, next week, we approach the 47th anniversary of 
the infamous Roe v. Wade decision. With this single ruling by the 
Supreme Court, abortion was legalized across the country.
  While many abortion activists celebrate this time as a victory for 
so-called women's health, it represents a somber occasion for those of 
us who advocate for life.
  It is no secret that I am unapologetically pro-life. I believe life 
begins at conception, and I am opposed to abortion at any stage.
  While not everyone in this body shares my convictions about life or 
on certain policies surrounding the rights of unborn children, our pro-
life agenda has momentum, and it is strong.
  Next week, thousands of Americans will gather in our Nation's Capital 
to participate in this year's March for Life. This is an annual event 
where the pro-life community joins together to advocate for the 
protection of unborn children.
  I know that some pro-life supporters will be traveling from Alabama's 
Second District, almost 900 miles, to defend the unborn.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to send a message to the 
thousands of marchers who are gathering to show their support for the 
pro-life movement: Thank you. Thank you for your dedication to this 
most worthy cause, and know that you are not alone in this fight. As 
you continue to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, 
remember that my pro-life colleagues and I stand with you.
  I promise to use this platform here in Congress, and beyond, to be a 
vocal advocate for the unborn. I will not stop fighting until our laws 
and policies protect life at every stage, and I hope you won't either.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Roby for 
her very powerful statement and her leadership here in the U.S. House.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris), my 
distinguished friend and colleague, the co-chairman of the 
Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. Dr.   Andy Harris is a board-certified 
anesthesiologist who has served so ably at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere.
  Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Smith, the co-chair of the Pro-
Life Caucus, for the work he has done over the decades to protect 
unborn life.
  Next week, I am going to have a birthday, but 61 million Americans 
aren't. Now, let that thought sink in for a second because that is the 
population of California and Florida together. That is the number of 
Americans who didn't get a chance to be born since Roe v. Wade was 
passed.
  I have spent over 30 years as an anesthesiologist on the labor and 
delivery suite. I was in charge of the labor and delivery anesthesia at 
Hopkins for decades, seeing the birth of literally thousands of babies, 
not even beginning to comprehend the magnitude of the 61 million lives 
that never had that opportunity to be born.
  Next week, we are going to have the March for Life. Mr. Speaker, I 
urge all Americans who are watching to tune in to one of those channels 
that shows that March for Life because what you will be struck by are 
the number of young people who have not believed the lie about 
abortion, the lie that it is a blob of tissue, that it is not a human 
life, that somehow that human life does not have the right to life.
  I believe there are a lot of young people who march because this is 
the generation that knows that it was legal for them to be aborted. I 
think they appreciate the fact that they weren't.
  Like Mrs. Roby, I am on the Appropriations Committee, and I am glad 
to have fought to get Planned Parenthood defunded by tax dollars 
because Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the 
United States. That means it is responsible for the taking of tens of 
millions of lives over the years. Not only that but they actually 
promote using American tax dollars to provide abortions overseas as 
well.
  I am proud of our President because our President reestablished what 
we call the Mexico City policy, which is very simple, Mr. Speaker. It 
says that American tax dollars, hardworking American taxpayer dollars, 
should not be spent on providing abortions in foreign countries.
  Oh, my gosh. It is bad enough that we still fund Planned Parenthood 
here in this country, but, my gosh, spending tax dollars to pay for 
abortions in foreign countries? Thank goodness our President stands 
firmly pro-life, some people suggest the most pro-life President we 
have ever had, and at such a good time to be the most pro-life 
President.
  As the death toll climbs to over 60 million, it is rapidly 
approaching the time to say enough is enough. This is the largest and 
most important human rights issue we face. This country has faced human 
rights issues before. We have to face this challenge, and we have to 
turn back the legalization of the killing of millions of Americans 
before they are even born.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Harris so very much 
for his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 
Norman), a distinguished Member. He is also the sponsor of the Ensuring 
Accurate and Complete Data Reporting Act.
  Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for his hard work and 
for what he does on a daily basis to protect the lives of the unborn.
  Mr. Speaker, I solemnly stand before you today on the 47th 
anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a decision that has corrupted the very 
foundation of our unalienable right to life as citizens of this great 
country.
  Life is a precious gift from our creator, from conception to natural 
death. I have been dedicated to protecting the rights of the unborn 
since the day I was sworn into Congress. It is a fight that I vow to 
continue until the last day that I serve in this body.
  As a proud grandfather of 17 beautiful grandchildren, the sanctity of 
life

[[Page H283]]

is cherished and personal. Let me give an example.

  Just a few months ago, September 25, our 17th grandchild was born 3 
months premature. His name is Warren, and we were unsure if he would 
survive. But it is by the grace of God, the love and support of family 
and friends, and the heroic work of the great doctors and nurses that 
Warren is still with us today.
  After more than 100 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, Warren 
was finally able to leave the hospital last week. Each moment we spend 
with him is a true miracle that I will never take for granted.
  Warren was, to give an example, 1 pound, 15 ounces when he was born. 
You could see the elements of his personality from the very beginning. 
He was a fighter.
  It is a daily reminder that the lives of millions of other children, 
the same size as Warren when he was born, have been allowed to be cut 
short due to the ruling of Roe v. Wade. It is truly unfathomable to 
think that the rule of law in this great country permits the 
intentional killing of the most vulnerable population.
  While most Americans agree it is morally wrong to end an unborn human 
life by abortion, it is also morally wrong to take taxpayer dollars to 
promote abortion at home or abroad, as has been stated. Yet in their 
recently released annual report, Planned Parenthood boasts spending 
$617 million on the mass murder of over 345,000 children in this 
country in just 1 year. That is roughly 947 premeditated killings each 
day by the billion-dollar abortion business.
  These statistics are not only alarming but, quite frankly, they are 
grotesque. They are among the many reasons why I will not only continue 
to support commonsense pro-life legislation, such as the bipartisan 
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, but will also march in 
solidarity with millions of Americans nationwide and hundreds of South 
Carolinians from the district I serve in honor of those who weren't 
given that chance that so many of us have been given.
  On this dark anniversary, let us unite and rededicate ourselves to 
protecting the unborn.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
sharing that beautiful story of his grandchild. What a tenacious 
spirit, and our prayers are with him as he prospers and thrives.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), my good 
friend and colleague.
  Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank very, very much my friend and 
colleague from New Jersey, Chris Smith, for having this Special Order, 
which is so very important. There is no greater champion for life than 
our colleague Chris Smith.
  Mr. Speaker, I also thank every one of my colleagues who are 
surrounding me tonight or are here speaking for those who are 
voiceless.
  I rise solemnly today, Mr. Speaker, in memory of the Supreme Court's 
tragic decision in Roe v. Wade 47 years ago, this appalling decision. 
Since that time, more than 60 million innocent human beings have been 
killed in the name of abortion and convenience.
  Throughout our history, Americans have been the very first to protect 
the defenseless around the world repeatedly through the centuries, yet 
here at home, we have allowed our very most vulnerable to come under 
vicious attack.
  As the father of five children and the grandfather of 16 beautiful 
grandchildren, I have no more important duty personally than to protect 
the lives of all Americans.
  As Members of Congress, we have that same duty to protect all 
Americans, especially the ones who have no voice.
  I have been very proud to support the steps taken by President Trump 
and his administration, who is the most pro-life President in the 
history of this country, in his fight to save innocent lives from 
abortion. We are so very grateful for his bold executive efforts to 
protect the lives of the unborn, which have been so very, very 
effective.
  As thousands of Americans gather once again here in Washington, D.C., 
next week to stand up for life, let us be renewed in our purpose to end 
abortion.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much 
for his comments tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green).
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, for almost half a century, we 
have watched our Nation dehumanize an entire group of people based on 
their age with the Roe decision allowing the killing of 60 million 
unborn children. This is the largest human rights violation of our 
time.
  As Martin Luther King, Jr., said: ``There is no graded scale of 
essential worth'' among people.
  This truth is something the evil organization Planned Parenthood 
deliberately chooses not to see, ending lives and selling baby parts 
for the sake of science. As America's largest abortion provider, it 
performs over 320,000 every single year, all in the name of freedom. 
But there is quite obviously absolutely no such thing as a right or 
freedom to end someone else's life.
  As Ronald Reagan said, isn't it interesting that all who support 
abortion have already been born?

                              {time}  1830

  We must defend the equal right to life for everyone. If we can't do 
that, what are we even doing here?
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Baird), a Bronze Star winner and a Purple Heart recipient. 
I thank him for his service and thank him for his witness for life.
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for having this Special 
Order.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reflect on the 47th anniversary of the 
Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which has had a devastating effect 
on protecting the sanctity of life and advancing the rights of the 
unborn.
  This ill-fated decision has had drastic, negative consequences and 
has expanded the abhorrent practice of abortion across this country.
  But despite the devastating effects Roe v. Wade has had on the 
sanctity of life, I am inspired to see so many of my fellow Members of 
Congress join me in continuing the fight for the unborn. Whether it be 
by signing the discharge petition to bring the Born-Alive Abortion 
Survivors Protection Act to the floor for a vote, or by cosponsoring 
legislation to prohibit the use of taxpayer funding in abortions, my 
House colleagues and I will continue to fight to protect life.
  Just a couple of weeks ago, I was proud to join 206 of my 
congressional colleagues in signing an amicus brief filed with the U.S. 
Supreme Court concerning the Louisiana case of June Medical Services v. 
Gee.
  I look forward to seeing the court review this case and others in 
hopes that they may issue a decision that reflects the will of the 
majority of Americans to protect the unborn.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Chabot), my good friend and colleague. The gentleman was the 
prime author of the law to save born-alive children, a law that we are 
looking now to strengthen with 199 cosponsors which is Representative 
Ann Wagner's bill. I thank the gentleman for his leadership.
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chris Smith for his 
leadership and his commitment to advancing pro-life legislation for 
literally decades now. He has been a leader for many of us, and we have 
watched and followed in his footsteps in many ways.
  A previous speaker,   Andy Harris, mentioned that his birthday is 
next week, and I share something with him because my birthday happens 
to be next week as well. Not only is it next week, but it is on January 
22, which is the very day that the horrific Roe v. Wade decision was 
issued.
  For decades now, I literally, on my birthday, with all of the joy 
that you have with your family or with friends and colleagues in 
celebrating your birthday, I can't help but think of those millions and 
millions of little, innocent, unborn babies that were not born, that 
have never experienced life because of a tragic decision that was made 
that they had no part in making, but their life was ended before they 
were able to share the blessing that life is.
  That is why we need to overturn that horrific Roe v. Wade decision. 
Many of us have been working for years and

[[Page H284]]

years now to do that, or to do everything we can up to that point 
until, ultimately, the court makes that decision.
  We have a responsibility, I believe, to protect the most vulnerable 
among us, and that is innocent, unborn babies. It was one of the 
principal reasons that I wanted to come to Congress. It was one of the 
principal reasons that I wanted to be on the Judiciary Committee.
  I was blessed to be chosen by one of the legends in the pro-life 
community, probably the father of the pro-life movement here in the 
House, and that was the late Henry Hyde who chaired the Judiciary 
Committee.
  Next to Henry, Chris Smith certainly is the leader since Henry. But 
as the gentleman mentioned, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, it 
took me a number of years and I was able to work my way up to the chair 
of that committee and did successfully pass the Born-Alive Infants 
Protection Act which saved babies that they were literally finding in 
soiled utility closets.
  We had nurses who had formerly worked in abortion clinics and they 
came and told terrible stories of what had happened. That is now no 
longer the law, but we need to go beyond that.
  After that, we went on to pass probably what is the most significant 
pro-life legislation since Roe v. Wade and that is the ban on partial-
birth abortion, which I offered along with many other Members.
  We fought for 8 years--Steve King and so many other folks--and went 
all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court twice.
  I remember when that decision came down. I was in the Judiciary 
Committee when we all heard about it and we were so excited. We don't 
know exactly how many babies--we think tens of thousands every year--
that that has saved, but we are still losing so many other innocent, 
unborn lives here in this Nation. There have been 61 million since Roe 
v. Wade that we know of.
  I want to thank all of my colleagues who are here this evening and 
spending their time to do something, I think, which is probably one of 
the most worthy things we can do with our time here in the House, and 
that is to try to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
  I thank everyone that is here.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his 
leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Hice).
  Mr. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Chris Smith, 
for leading this Special Order as we memorialize countless lives that 
have been lost in the last 47 years to the Roe v. Wade decision.
  The gentleman and all of my colleagues here are champions for life, 
and I want to thank them for their commitment and their resolve to 
address this issue.
  The March for Life is a unique event in American culture. It is the 
only march where 100 percent of the participants are marching on behalf 
of someone else; marching on behalf of the most vulnerable among us, 
as has already been mentioned, those who have not yet had the 
opportunity to take their first breath of life.

  This Special Order annually commemorating the March for Life stands 
as a memorial to those lives who have been lost to abortion. And it is 
time for this Chamber to mark that dreadful decision of the Supreme 
Court and to mourn the results of that decision.
  This is a time for us to carefully consider the choices of our Nation 
and the realization that those choices have dire consequences.
  This is our time to learn from those past decisions and to, with 
fresh determination, do all we can to make sure that we don't repeat 
the mistakes of the past.
  It is for that reason that I introduced H. Res. 50, which would 
memorialize the unborn by lowering the flag of the United States to 
half-staff on the 22nd of every January. It would be known as a day of 
tears, memorializing the ocean of tears that have been lost and shed 
for the millions, countless children who have never had a chance to 
live.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe every human life is sacred. I believe that 
life begins at conception, and if we don't stand on behalf of the 
unborn, who will? That is the question.
  So it is on their behalf that each of us here, we will never waiver, 
we will never quit. We will continue fighting with everything we have 
for life. No matter how long the battle is, no matter how intense it 
may become, we will not cease our effort until every child is given the 
gift of life that only God gives.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much 
and thank him for reminding the Members, as well as those who might be 
watching on C-SPAN, of the selflessness of the pro-life movement.
  The people who will be marching are doing it for others, and, 
increasingly, at every march, there are more women who are postabortive 
who now speak out on behalf of their lost child. And they admonish and 
encourage others not to make that same terrible, irreversible mistake.
  I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), my good 
friend and colleague.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Smith for yielding.
  First of all, let me acknowledge the gentleman's tireless work on 
behalf of human rights, justice, and human dignity. The gentleman is 
authentically the conscience of this Congress, and I am so grateful for 
his leadership and deep friendship.
  Mr. Speaker, as you walk down this aisle as I just did, if you will 
notice this beautiful rostrum in this well where we speak, along the 
sides of the rostrum here are a couple of words. They express the 
deepest, noble sentiments of what it means to be an American: union, 
justice and peace. But there is another word that is often overlooked 
and it is right here. It says: ``Tolerance.''
  We are living in a very interesting age. We are living, in a certain 
sense, in a divided age. We seem to be struggling with our narrative as 
a nation, particularly politically. But something beautiful is 
happening.
  There is a new momentum among this new generation that is coming up 
that is wrestling with these deeper questions as to how you build a 
more just nation; how you include people who have been left out. How do 
you struggle for peace? How do you find authentic freedom, liberty?
  Tolerance creates the space for protection of that sacred space of 
conscience, of deliberation that we have in this body that is built 
upon a fundamental foundation of life: the protection of the ideals of 
life.
  We cannot say that we are going to include everybody and celebrate 
diversity except for them, the littlest ones, the smallest ones, the 
most vulnerable ones, the unborn child and the mothers that carried 
them in their womb. We have to do better.
  The young people cannot reconcile this paradox. They can't. That is 
why tens of thousands of them are going to come here next week--and a 
number of them are from my home State of Nebraska, and I am very proud 
of them--and they are going to do the American thing. They are going to 
exercise their civil rights for the noblest of sentiments; namely, 
tolerance for the most innocent, for the most vulnerable.
  They are going to say to us who are older, who have to shepherd this 
Nation: Please, please open your hearts and minds. We have to do 
better. We must do better.
  No matter how deep the problem, no matter how severe the 
circumstance, we should be loving enough, caring enough, big enough, 
and we certainly have resources enough to be a community that cares and 
loves and helps no matter how difficult the circumstances.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much 
for his very eloquent remarks and for his clarity as well. He has 
always been such a clear speaker, and I thank him so much.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), and 
I would like to point out to the Chair that we have so many doctors, 
M.D.s, who are speaking on behalf of unborn children and their moms. I 
want to thank the gentleman, Dr. Marshall, for that as well.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, tonight, we mourn the 47th anniversary of 
Roe v. Wade. Today, we mourn the loss of over 50 million American 
lives.
  Mr. Speaker, my good friend and colleague from New Jersey, and my 
colleagues here tonight all know that I dedicated my professional life 
to delivering babies. Every day, every other

[[Page H285]]

day for 30 years, I had the honor to deliver a baby. Sometimes it was 
one. I delivered as many as 12 babies in a day.
  But a subject I have never talked about up here, a subject that few 
Americans talk about, is infertility and recurrent miscarriages. 
Hundreds of thousands of women have these problems, and for whatever 
reason, when I took care of women with miscarriages, women who so 
desperately wanted to have a baby--it might be her third, her fourth, 
her fifth miscarriage--and who were unable to have a baby, it was at 
moments like that that I thought about Roe v. Wade.
  It never made sense to me. This morning, I read from the Book of 
Ecclesiastes trying to make some sense of life up here. Still, here I 
am, 50-some years of age, and I haven't found the answer. How can I 
live in a country where in one hospital I am fighting to help a woman 
keep a baby, and 100 miles away, the largest abortion clinic in the 
country is taking life away?
  How can we live in that type of a country? Tonight I pledge, I 
recommit my support and my efforts to protect life.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much 
for his words.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson).
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding a moment.
  Mr. Speaker, here we are again, marking this tragic anniversary as we 
do every year. The reason we have such sorrow and such a burden is 
because it is such an unspeakable sorrow what has happened to nearly 60 
million innocent, unborn children in this country.
  Our Nation's birth certificate is the Declaration of Independence, 
and it states succinctly what has been known as the American creed, and 
we know it by heart: ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that 
all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with 
certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the 
pursuit of happiness.''

                              {time}  1845

  The Founders recognized life first among those inalienable rights 
because they acknowledged that we are made in the image of a holy God, 
and because of that, there are some very serious implications that 
follow.
  It means every single human life has inestimable dignity and value. 
And our value is not related in any way to our socioeconomic status, 
the color of our skin, what ZIP Code we live in, how talented we may 
be, or what we can contribute to society. Our value is inherent, 
because, as our Founders acknowledged, it is given to us by our 
creator.
  Roe v. Wade tragically defied that American creed, and it has 
resulted, as we said, in the murder of more than 60 million innocent 
American children.
  How can we stand by and allow this to happen? We can't, and we will 
not.
  And I will just say this in the very brief moment that I have. 
Tonight we will continue to pray, we will continue to work, we will 
continue to legislate, we will continue to litigate, and we will 
continue to march and stand for women and children and the sanctity of 
every single human life until the promise of our Nation's birth 
certificate is realized.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Latta).
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the right to life 
for every unborn child.
  But before I start, I want to thank the gentleman from Jersey for his 
tireless work and efforts to reverse this decision and to make sure 
that life is what we are about in this country, because, tragically, in 
the 47 years since Roe v. Wade, there have been more than 60 million 
abortions in our country.
  This is more than a statistic. These are innocent lives lost. Even if 
this decision is brought back before the Supreme Court, abortions can 
still be prevalent due to the increasing use of chemical abortion 
pills. That is why my bill, the SAVE Moms and Babies Act, is necessary, 
to ensure that the current FDA policy regulating these dangerous pills 
will stay in place--preventing expanded use--to protect the health and 
safety of women.
  I am a committed advocate for pro-life policies, for the protection 
of the sanctity of life. I appreciate and thank those who offer an 
unwavering dedication to defending the unborn, despite a culture that 
often marginalizes pro-life values. Such perseverance is incredibly 
inspiring. It is an important reminder that we must all be a voice for 
the voiceless.
  The fight for life must continue.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio 
for his leadership on that bill and all of the other pro-life pieces of 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. John W. 
Rose).
  Mr. JOHN W. ROSE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, today, on behalf of the 
tens of millions of voices forever lost to abortion since Roe v. Wade, 
I come before this body to mourn the tragic loss of life our country 
has experienced in this last 47 years.
  The Tennesseeans I represent overwhelmingly support the right to 
life; and like most folks in Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District, 
I firmly believe that life begins at conception. Throughout my first 
term in Congress, I have been proud to fight for the children still to 
come who cannot speak for themselves.
  As a father, I am especially touched by the solemn and joyous 
responsibility our Heavenly Father entrusts to us through the blessing 
of little ones. Even one child's life shortened before reaching his or 
her own God-given potential is a tragedy, and yet that has happened 
tens of millions of times in the last 47 years since Roe v. Wade was 
decided in the Supreme Court.
  Heartbreakingly, Norma McCorvey, also known as Jane Roe, was a real 
mother, and, ultimately, she was a real advocate for the unborn. Later 
in her life, Ms. McCorvey came to faith in God and joined the pro-life 
community in believing that every child's life is worth protecting.
  Ms. McCorvey is no longer with us, but her story lives on. Today I 
call on my colleagues to search their souls, just as Ms. McCorvey--Jane 
Roe--did and choose life.
  Who are we to decide which precious children designed by God have the 
chance to live on this Earth and which do not?
  Our country was founded with this belief underscored: ``that all men 
are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain 
unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit 
of happiness.''
  With the words of the Declaration of Independence in mind, I signed 
onto an amicus brief supporting life in the upcoming June Medical 
Services v. Gee Supreme Court case. It is well past time for the 
Supreme Court to uphold the right to life and overrule Roe v. Wade.
  Ms. McCorvey--Jane Roe--agreed, and, overwhelmingly, so do the 
Tennesseans that I represent.
  In this new decade, may our country's legacy be of life and a new 
generation of hope.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Walberg), my good friend and colleague.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker: ``Around her neck hung a gold necklace that 
said `Best Mom,' a Christmas present from her two daughters.
  ``Stefanie closed her eyes, just as she does at the dentist. `That 
way I don't have to see what's going on,' she said.
  ``Ten minutes later, the sleepless nights, the tighter jeans, the 
third child that she said would have strained the family's finances, 
were a memory.''
  That shocking article was in the Chicago Tribune 17 years ago, 2003. 
That child who would have strained the family's finances would have 
been a senior high school student and who knows what more.
  Back then, 40 million babies had been aborted since Roe v. Wade. 
Today, 61 million. January 22 marks the 47th ignominy of Roe v. Wade.
  As recently as yesterday, in committee, I heard abortion defended as 
a ``woman's constitutional right to choose what is best for her own 
body and interests.''

  Now, someone decried the fact that there are so many men standing and 
speaking today, but we men have always stood to defend the innocent and 
to defend our families. So, proudly, today, we do the same.
  Charles Darwin said, ``great is the power of steady 
misrepresentation.''

[[Page H286]]

And so we have created a lie. We have chosen a lie. We have been sold a 
lie. We have lived a lie. We have even tried to make it the truth, but 
it is still a lie. And children, innocents, and women have been hurt 
because of it; and, ultimately, all life has been cheapened and 
diminished.
  May God change our hearts.
  Our children are not our burdens; they are our hope. Our children are 
tomorrow's dreams and ideas and imagination. Our children are the 
pioneers who unlock more secrets of God's universe, harness new 
technologies for peace, strive to create a world freer from want, and 
bring forth long-awaited cures for dreaded diseases. They are our 
artists, our poets, who will make life more vivid and colorful, and the 
faithful who will serve God and their fellow beings.
  Babies aren't a choice once they are conceived; they are a gift from 
our loving creator, God. Thomas Jefferson wisely stated: ``The God who 
gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.''
  And so I end by saying human liberty is inseparably linked to human 
life. God help us as a nation to choose life and liberty.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Flores).
  Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Smith for all his great work to 
protect life and to reflect the values that this country holds dear.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of the millions of innocent 
lives lost in the 47 years since the tragic Supreme Court decision, Roe 
v. Wade.
  Since 1973, freely accessible abortion has fostered a culture of 
death in America, and the expansion of clinics like Planned Parenthood 
have normalized abortion and stolen the futures of over 50 million 
innocent lives.
  Here are some statistics from Planned Parenthood's own annual report:
  In 2019 alone, they aborted 345,670 innocent, defenseless lives. 
Think about that from a personal perspective. That is over 100,000 more 
persons than the population of Waco and McLennan County, Texas, the 
largest county in Texas District 17, which has over 250,000-plus 
Texans.
  This genocide constitutes over 96 percent of their pregnancy 
resolution services, as they call them; whereas, prenatal and adoption 
referral services accounted for less than 4 percent of pregnancy 
resolution services.
  While they may seek to mask their intentions under the banner of 
women's health, make no mistake, Planned Parenthood is an abortion 
factory dedicated to providing, protecting, and expanding access to 
abortion.
  Moreover, something else to think about is that at least 50 percent 
of those babies killed are girls. Recent reports indicate that over 50 
percent are children of color. Think about the misogyny and the racism 
of those genocidal numbers.
  I strongly believe that life begins at conception, and as a father 
and a Christian, I am deeply committed to protecting the sanctity of 
life. In the 116th Congress, I have sought to be a voice for those who 
cannot speak for themselves and have cosponsored over 20 bills to 
protect life.
  I am also proud to have joined 206 other pro-life Members of Congress 
in signing a recent amicus brief to the Supreme Court. If successful 
and this so-called right to abortion, as outlined in Roe v. Wade, is 
considered unworkable by the courts, then it is time to overturn that 
tragic decision.
  Mr. Speaker, I close with this: Millions of Americans believe that 
life begins at conception and must be protected. I stand with those 
Americans to fight for the lives that may be snuffed out before they 
have even begun. We must continue to fight for those who have been 
denied the opportunity to grow, to flourish, and to make an impact on 
our world.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to mark, with sadness, the 
47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. This tragic Supreme Court decision has 
resulted in the loss of over 60 million unborn babies' lives. This 
surpasses the number killed by Stalin and Hitler, combined.
  In a country, today, where so many social and technological 
advancements have been achieved, how is it that we still fail to value 
the most fundamental part of human society--a human life?
  The repercussions of Roe have been disastrous. Over 60 million 
children have lost their lives because of Roe.
  I am dismayed by the arguments I hear coming from those who call 
themselves pro-choice. Those 60 million unborn were not given a choice.
  I have two wonderful and lovely daughters-in-law who are expecting 
babies as we speak right now. I am so glad that these two principled 
women and their husbands value life.
  Now, our choice is to be the voice for the voiceless. I am proud to 
stand here with my colleagues in Congress for the cause of life.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time we 
have left.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 14 minutes remaining.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Georgia.
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I have 4 children and 13 grandchildren, and I 
can't imagine life without them and the love that we have for each 
other. In fact, every human life from the moment of conception is 
precious, worthy of dignity and respect.
  The right to life should not be a political debate.

                              {time}  1900

  As a society, we should be united in the understanding that killing 
another human being, a baby, an unborn child, is immoral and 
unconstitutional. But in 1973 the Supreme Court ruled to make abortion 
available throughout pregnancy for nearly any reason.
  Mr. Speaker, there are only five countries in the world that allow 
abortion after the first 5 months, and, unfortunately, the U.S. is one 
of them. But Americans want better: 82 percent of Americans believe 
that abortion should be restricted. However, radicals on the left are 
taking abortion to a new extreme trying to justify killing a healthy, 
7-pound baby up until the point of birth.
  Can you imagine?
  Some even try to justify killing a baby who survives an abortion 
attempt. In fact, we have a petition on this floor called the Born-
Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and there are 240 Members of 
this body who refuse to sign that petition. This is repugnant.
  Can you imagine, as the Virginia Governor described, a baby born in a 
botched abortion: What we do is make the child comfortable and then 
talk with the mother and the other stakeholders to decide whether we 
kill the baby.
  That is un-American.
  In the 47 years since Roe v. Wade, we killed over 60 million of these 
children. That is why I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 50 which will 
memorialize the unborn by lowering the United States flag to half-staff 
on the 22nd of January each year.
  Mr. Speaker, I pray that the hearts and minds of every person in this 
country, particularly those who are Members of this body, will change 
and vote for life.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my good friend and 
colleague for his very eloquent statement.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho).
  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell Congressman Chris Smith 
how proud I am, that he is one of my heroes for doing what he is doing. 
The gentleman has never wavered on this.
  Mr. Speaker, as we approach the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, it is a 
solemn reminder of the tragedy that continues to befall some of our 
Nation's unborn children. We should repeat this again on Mother's Day.
  For 47 years the Nation has allowed the sanctity of life to be 
questioned and infringed upon. All of us in this Chamber are here 
because we were granted the blessing of life. We were allowed to live 
our lives and decide what path we wished to embark upon. Unfortunately, 
not all Americans are allowed this choice. Some children are stopped 
before they can even defend themselves.
  I, along with many of my colleagues, cannot and will not accept that 
reality. A reality where we as a nation provide more protection for an 
unhatched bald eagle or a turtle embryo, i.e, an egg,

[[Page H287]]

than we do the children of our own species.
  It is my hope that on this anniversary we can pray for the souls of 
those children lost and work towards a future where all children are 
allowed to decide their own future in this blessed Nation of ours. Our 
Founding Fathers were grounded in the Christian principles this Nation 
was founded on.
  2 Chronicles 7:14: ``If my people, who are called by my name, will 
humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked 
ways; then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and 
will heal their land.''
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, again I point out to my 
colleagues that there are so many medical doctors who are part of this 
pro-life effort. Hopefully, their views, like all of ours, but theirs 
especially, will be weighed and, hopefully, people will agree to the 
great work that Dr. Joyce is doing.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding. And I want to acknowledge Mr. Smith from New Jersey for 
taking such courageous leadership on this very important issue. We as a 
body thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, 47 years of the amoral destruction of life is 47 years 
too long. As a physician, my pro-life conviction is rooted in the 
Hippocratic oath's commitment to protecting human life. In the medical 
community, each of us is called to do everything in our power to 
protect the patients to whom we are assigned. Each of us pledges to do 
no harm.
  Mr. Speaker, Roe v. Wade directly contradicts this oath. Each life is 
a precious gift that is truly worthy of our protection.
  As our Nation marks another tragic anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I 
remain committed to serving as a steadfast voice for the voiceless. As 
we continue this fight, I remain eternally hopeful that our Nation will 
someday value all human life for its inherent worth and its dignity.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Watkins), who represents the Second Congressional District.
  Mr. WATKINS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for 
his leadership on this. This Congress is better because of it, and this 
Nation is better because of the gentleman's efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to be a voice for the voiceless. There is no 
effort more important than our protecting the sanctity of life. As a 
true political freshman, new to Congress and new to politics, I was so 
proud that the first bill I put my name on was to defund Planned 
Parenthood.
  Most recently I introduced H.R. 4800, the Pro-LIFE Act. My bill would 
close the ``valuable consideration'' loophole by prohibiting the sale 
of human fetal issues. These are unborn babies' hearts, livers, bones, 
and brains that are used in experiments. I urge my colleagues to please 
sign on to my Pro-LIFE Act, H.R. 4800.
  May God bless the unborn, and may God have mercy on us all.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Cloud), who is my friend and colleague.
  Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, January 22 marks the 47th anniversary of the 
United States Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade. On that day, in a 
historic moment of judicial overreach and without legislative action, 
the Supreme Court declared abortion legal in our country. Since then 61 
million babies have been robbed of their right to life, liberty, and 
the pursuit of happiness.
  Today we know much more than we did when Roe v. Wade was handed down. 
Decades of scientific advancements have revealed much about the 
development and vitality of the unborn child. We know, for example, 
beyond any shadow of a doubt that unborn babies feel and react to pain 
at just 20 weeks, which means, yes, they do feel the pain of an 
abortion.
  Fetal heart rate monitors and 3D ultrasounds are commonly used by 
expectant mothers today. The use of this technology was very limited in 
1973, but now we know that the sounds of heartbeats and images of a 
moving baby reveal one thing to us, and that is life. Continued 
scientific discovery and the technological advancements have only 
strengthened the case that the life of a child yet to be born is 
precious.
  I do believe that everyone has a right to life and equal protection 
under the law. Thomas Jefferson once said: ``Indeed I tremble for my 
country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep 
forever.''
  I pray for God's mercy on this Nation. And I pray that we in this 
Chamber and those across our Nation will continue to work together to 
end this injustice.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to another gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Wright), and I thank him for sponsoring the 
Teleabortion Prevention Act and the Child Custody Protection Act.
  Mr. WRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Smith for his 
incredible leadership on the life issue in the Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, 47 years ago the moral and religious fabric of the 
United States was tragically torn. As a result of the Roe v. Wade 
decision, 61 million unborn children have lost their lives, and 
millions of women and families have been torn apart by abortion. I 
promised my constituents that I would be a voice for the voiceless in 
Washington, and I have no intention of breaking that promise.
  Over the past year my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have 
time and time again blocked legislation that protects the unborn and 
women's health. Last year we saw lawmakers block the Born-Alive 
Abortion Survivors Protection Act over 80 times, explicitly endorsing 
infanticide.
  A number of important pro-life bills have been introduced in this 
Congress, including, as Mr. Smith mentioned, my Teleabortion Prevention 
Act and the Child Custody Protection Act that protects young women who 
are being taken across State lines for an abortion. Both have been 
stalled by partisan politics.
  We also saw lawmakers in New York and Virginia cheer legislation that 
would allow abortions in the ninth month of pregnancy when most babies 
are viable. This is an outrage. Protecting the voiceless unborn is one 
of the most significant contributions we can make in our lives, and we, 
as a nation, need to get back to protecting it.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Guest), who represents the Third Congressional 
District.
  Mr. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, Jeremiah 1:5 states: ``Before I formed you in 
the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.''
  In the 47 years that have passed since Roe v. Wade, over 45 million 
Americans have tragically been robbed of their lives through abortion. 
The fight to protect the lives of our unborn children, however, has 
grown stronger since Roe v. Wade.
  As we have developed a better understanding of the immense 
consequences that abortion inflicts on the mother, our society, and, 
most importantly, the child in the womb, individual States, including 
my home State of Mississippi, have enacted more than 1,000 preventive 
laws to protect the unborn.
  As a pro-life Member I am proud to join the bipartisan group of 
Representatives and Senators who have filed an amicus brief that 
outlines the arguments of why Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
  I am grateful for the tremendous leadership of President Trump and 
his administration to ensure the Federal Government's regulatory 
efforts to preserve life.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage every American to join the movement to 
protect our unborn children and support efforts to defend the right to 
life.

                          ____________________