[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H6190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1130
                    MERITS OF TEXAS' HEARTBEAT BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Mooney) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MOONEY. Mr. Speaker, soon the Supreme Court will rule on the 
challenge to the Texas abortion law case. The law implements the 
Nation's toughest restrictions on abortions.
  Signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in May, it prohibits abortion 
after a heartbeat is detected in the unborn child. This usually occurs 
around 6 weeks. The law makes exceptions for medical emergencies.
  The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing challenges to this bill by pro-
abortion groups that want the law overturned. The upcoming ruling will 
be closely watched as an indicator as to whether the Federal courts 
will uphold future States' rights to implement pro-life legislation 
rather than continuing to overreach their Federal court authority.
  Unborn babies are human lives. All too often, abortion is referred to 
as simply a medical procedure, and the sanctity of life is devalued.
  At 6 weeks, an unborn child has a heartbeat of approximately 98 beats 
per minute. Blood vessels begin to form in the circulatory system, and 
the brain is rapidly developing. This is a human life.
  By 10 weeks, an unborn baby has arms and legs, fingers and toes. The 
baby's pain receptors have been developing for weeks. This is a human 
life.
  By 15 weeks, all the unborn baby's major organs have formed, and the 
baby has a fully developed heart that pumps 26 quarts of blood per day. 
The baby can feel pain.
  All too often, these facts are overlooked and sidelined and not even 
addressed in the issue of abortion.
  It is my hope that the U.S. Supreme Court will see the merits as to 
why the State of Texas heartbeat bill was implemented. According to CDC 
statistics, 619,591 babies were aborted in the United States in 2018. 
That is 619,591 lives that could have been the next teacher, 
firefighter, parent, or President of the United States. Upholding the 
heartbeat bill would save the lives of countless unborn babies, both 
male and female.
  Here in Congress, I continue to be the protector of life and champion 
for the Hyde amendment in Federal legislation. Taxpayer money should 
not be used to end the lives of innocent, defenseless babies with 
beating hearts.
  The right to life is our most fundamental, natural, and God-given 
right. I will continue to fight to oppose pro-abortion plans to force 
taxpayer funding for abortion. Your taxpayer dollars should never be 
used to be funding abortion on demand.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe in the sanctity of life, and I will continue 
to fight for the rights of preborn babies.

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