[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S160-S161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              ROE V. WADE

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, last Friday, we observed the 48th 
anniversary of Roe v. Wade--the Supreme Court decision that legalized 
abortion through all 9 months of pregnancy. It is a somber day every 
year, as we contemplate the millions of lives lost to abortion since 
the Roe v. Wade decision.
  Gallup has been polling on abortion for decades, and if you look at 
the polling on the issue, one thing becomes clear: The majority of 
Americans do not believe in unrestricted abortion. Some believe that 
abortion should be completely illegal. Some believe abortion should be 
legal under certain circumstances. But the majority of Americans do not 
believe in unrestricted abortion.
  Why is that? Why, despite the best efforts of the far left, do the 
majority of Americans think there should be at least some restrictions 
on abortion? I suspect the answer is that every person knows on some 
level that when we are talking about abortion, we are talking about a 
baby, a human being. It is not rocket science; it is biology 101. Human 
moms and dads have human babies. Take one look at an ultrasound, at a 
baby girl sucking her thumb or a baby boy kicking his feet, and it is 
pretty hard to argue that is just a clump of cells.
  I believe that is why, despite years of fierce abortion advocacy from 
the far left, the majority of Americans do not believe in unrestricted 
abortion, because they know--they know--the unborn child is a human 
being, and they know a human being deserves to be protected even when 
they are small and weak and vulnerable--especially when they are small 
and weak and vulnerable.
  The truth is, advocates of abortion are fighting an uphill battle. It 
doesn't always feel like that. After all, they have a lot of support 
from the entertainment industry and magazines and media outlets and 
Democratic politicians. The pro-abortion left has a lot of money. They 
have won too many victories, and too many babies have been killed. But 
despite their money and platform and advantage, in 48 years, advocates 
for abortion have not won their fight. They have not managed to 
convince anywhere close to a majority of Americans that abortion is an 
unqualified good and should be available unrestricted and on demand, 
and that is because, for all their advantages, they are fighting an 
unwinnable battle because they are fighting against reality, they are 
fighting against truth, they are fighting against science, and they are 
fighting against the knowledge that is written on every human heart, a 
truth that gets obscured but is hard to completely erase, and that is, 
every human being has value and deserves to be protected.
  Last week, I came down to the floor to praise President Biden's call 
for unity, and I suggested that one way he could show that commitment 
was by

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nominating individuals for key posts who represent a majority of 
Americans instead of the far-left wing of his party. I think several of 
the President's nominations have demonstrated his commitment to unity. 
While perhaps not the people I would have chosen, I believe that a 
number of his nominees will serve Americans well, and I have voted 
accordingly, casting votes in favor of President Biden's choice for 
Director of National Intelligence and Secretary of Defense, among 
others.
  But unfortunately President Biden has also nominated some individuals 
who represent the extreme left of the Democratic Party rather than 
mainstream Americans, and nowhere is that more true than with his 
radically pro-abortion nominee for Secretary of Health and Human 
Services.
  As a Member of the House of Representatives, Javier Becerra 
accumulated an overwhelmingly pro-abortion voting record, even opposing 
a ban on partial-birth abortion--a procedure so heinous and repulsive, 
it is difficult even to describe. As attorney general of California, he 
used his position to advance the pro-abortion cause.
  On top of that, he has shown a disturbing tendency to use his 
position to attack freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. As 
California attorney general, he sued an order of nuns who care for the 
elderly poor to try to force them to offer health insurance benefits 
that violate their faith. That is right--he thought it a good use of 
his time as attorney general to sue an order of nuns who care for the 
elderly poor. He also enthusiastically sought to enforce a California 
law that forced crisis pregnancy centers to advertise abortion 
services. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which 
overturned the California law because it violated the free speech 
protection of the First Amendment.
  It is bad to support evils like abortion. It is worse to not only 
support an evil but to attempt to force others to participate in it in 
violation of their consciences.
  I know the President is a man of faith, which makes it particularly 
perplexing why he would choose to nominate an individual who has used 
his position to attack freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. 
As head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Becerra 
would have the ability to not only push an extremist abortion agenda 
but to roll back important progress made to protect individuals' 
conscience rights. I am disappointed by the President's choice. Javier 
Becerra's pro-abortion views do not represent the views of the majority 
of Americans.
  I am also very disappointed by the announcement that President Biden 
will overturn the Mexico City policy, which protects taxpayer dollars 
from being used to finance abortion in other countries. This is not a 
unifying action. Americans were not clamoring to have their tax dollars 
start supporting abortions abroad. This is only a priority for the pro-
abortion lobby.
  As I said, I am disappointed in the President's actions, and going 
forward, I hope he will not let his Presidency be hijacked by abortion 
extremists. But whatever policies this administration pursues, I and 
many of my colleagues will continue to work to promote a culture of 
life in this country. The arc--the arc--of the moral universe is long, 
but I believe it does bend towards justice. I look forward to the day 
that we will secure justice for unborn human beings by ensuring that 
they are protected
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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