[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S164-S165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       48TH ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE

  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, this week is the 48th annual March for 
Life. It is an event when thousands of Americans come together to 
advocate for the value and protection of unborn human life.
  They will be coming together this year differently than they have for 
almost 50 years, but for almost 50 years, millions of people have 
marched to Capitol Hill to try to build a culture wherein every human 
life is valued and every human life is protected. That includes 
tireless women and men and children from my home State of Missouri who 
come to Washington, both individually and along with the Missouri Life 
Caravan, every year. It will be the first year in a long time I haven't 
spoken to that group in person, but as they meet virtually, their cause 
is still as resonant as it is in person.
  I know that Missourians will continue to advocate for life. They will 
continue to remember the unborn and those whom we have lost from 
abortion. This year's theme of the march is ``Together Strong: Life 
Unites!'' It is a pretty hard theme to argue with no matter how you 
feel about this particular topic. ``Unity'' doesn't mean believing the 
same thing about everything, but it does mean agreeing about one very 
important thing in terms of this event, and that important thing, of 
course, is the value and protection of life.
  This belief in life cuts across religion. It cuts across party lines. 
It cuts across geographic boundaries. People and organizations from all 
religious backgrounds--and even those who have no religious 
affiliations--are part of the pro-life movement, and they oppose 
abortion in almost all cases. Polling shows that more than a third of 
Democrats in America support protections for life, and there are groups 
dedicated to showing that pro-life is not a partisan issue. Frankly, 
that is a move in the right direction to where you don't feel like you 
are included in one party or excluded from one party because of your 
view on this issue.
  Last year's Geneva Consensus Declaration brought together more than 
30 countries to promote women's health and strengthen the family, 
including the preservation of human life. We need to do everything we 
can to save the lives of babies and of mothers. Maternity mortality is 
a big problem in our country and around the world. It has become a 
focus of the Congress in recent years and needs to continue to be. Even 
though the issue of life so often is polarized in the U.S. Congress, I 
am still encouraged that we see a powerful commitment, over and over,

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to protect the unborn and how that breaks through in other areas 
outside of the Congress. For the past 4 years, we have seen an 
unprecedented advance in the protections for the unborn in State 
legislatures.

  In the next few years, we can expect to see efforts to try to move 
things in another direction, to weaken or remove life protections in, 
for instance, the title X family planning program or in our foreign aid 
programs. There is a well-funded effort to abandon even the 
longstanding Hyde amendment, which prevents taxpayer funding of 
abortion or abortion coverage in Federal healthcare programs.
  As the chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services 
Appropriations Committee, I oversaw the yearly renewal of the Hyde 
amendment, which has been included in that bill for the past 40 years. 
Now I won't be the chairman of that committee in this Congress, but I 
will still be fighting to see that we maintain this area where there 
has been great consensus that went beyond political parties.
  I will continue to support and advocate for the Hyde amendment and 
for permanent Federal protections for the unborn through legislation 
like the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the No Taxpayer 
Funding for Abortion Act, among other things.
  Although the pro-life movement can expect challenges in this 
Congress, there are still many signs that one day we will succeed in 
creating a culture where every human life is valued and protected. For 
now, however, I want to thank the men, women, and children who dedicate 
their time and talents to making this happen, who today are marching 
virtually as they join together to talk about this important cause and 
remember the theme of this year, which is ``Together Strong: Life 
Unites!''
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Rosen). The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam 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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