[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       WE MUST ALL STAND FOR LIFE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, there is a reason that we 
hold our law enforcement, our firefighters, and our paramedics in such 
high esteem. It is because these men and women are called to protect 
human life.
  As a doctor, I swore an oath to first do no harm, and to protect the 
sanctity of human life, working to care for those who are vulnerable.
  Here in Congress, we also swore an oath to protect our country and to 
protect our citizens, and that means that we must all stand for life.
  I am proud to stand for those who protect human life at all costs. I 
am proud to have cast my vote in favor of the Born Alive Abortion 
Survivors Protection Act, and the Senate must urgently take up this 
important piece of legislation to protect human life.
  Mr. Speaker, we are all called to love children who are created in 
the image of God. This Nation must bind together and work to protect 
all of those, both born and unborn, and this Congress must always stand 
for human life.


                      National School Choice Week

  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this week, we celebrate 
National School Choice Week, and recognize that parents have the right 
to choose the school that is best for their children.
  For the past 3 years, we have seen lockdowns and curriculum that 
failed to provide American students with the education that they so 
desperately need and want. American 9 year-olds have now lost two 
decades of progress in math and reading after prolonged school 
shutdowns and closings.
  It is clear that parents need to, once again, have a greater say in 
their children's education. To make sure that that happens, Congress 
must act to protect these parents by passing the Parents Bill of 
Rights.
  Parents have the right to know what their children are being taught 
in school. Parents have the right to see their child's school budget 
and the spending. Parents have the right to protect their children's 
privacy and to ensure that their children are safe in school.
  Congress must commit to passing legislation that puts students and 
parents first. Let's work to recover the education that was lost during 
the school shutdowns, and let's work to create a future that is built 
on freedom. Freedom for students, freedom for parents, and freedom for 
families.

                          ____________________