[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 110 (Thursday, June 26, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3549-S3551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Third Anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization
Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, this week has given the pro-life
movement quite a bit to celebrate. On Tuesday, we marked the third
anniversary of the landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson. And today the
U.S. Supreme Court delivered another life-affirming victory in the
Medina v. Planned Parenthood case out of South Carolina, holding that
States can defund the abortion industry by ensuring that abortion
providers are excluded from the States' Medicaid Program.
This commonsense decision from the Supreme Court reinforces the
important work that pro-life lawmakers are doing at the State and
Federal level to keep tax dollars out of the abortion business. We can
rest easy knowing that pro-life States across America are fiercely
protecting the lives of innocent, preborn children.
But a child's right to exist should not depend on geography, and that
is why my fellow pro-life colleagues join me on the Senate floor today
to commemorate this time when the responsibility of protecting human
life has been returned to the people and their elected leaders at both
the State and Federal level.
Three years ago, the Supreme Court held that:
The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe
and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate
abortion is returned to the people and their elected
representatives.
I am especially proud that my home State of Mississippi was at the
center of this historic decision. The Dobbs landmark decision and all
those involved in making it happen are very close to my heart,
including my friends Representative Becky Currie of Brookhaven, MS, who
authored the bill, and Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who represented our
State so well in the Supreme Court. The High Court gave us exactly what
we asked for.
Two hundred twenty-seven of my pro-life colleagues in Congress joined
me on the brief we filed in Dobbs asserting that ``it is long overdue
for this Court to return lawmaking to legislatures . . . we
respectfully urge the
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Court to affirm the constitutional authority of the federal and state
governments to safeguard the lives and health of their citizens, born
and not yet born.''
While the pro-life movement has long sought to change hearts and
minds through decades of court battles, today we can make a real
difference to ensure our laws reflect the values we hold dear. A
handful of examples of these legislative efforts include supporting
pregnancy resource centers, protecting abortion survivors, and ensuring
U.S. tax dollars are not funneled into the abortion industry.
While the pro-life community has held an outstretched hand to
expecting parents who may be facing tough and scary hurdles--a primary
one being the financial cost of birth--my colleagues and I are
committed to supporting these families.
To that end, the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act is meant to
ease the out-of-pocket costs paid by parents to have a child. If we can
relieve the financial stresses associated with pregnancy and
childbirth, I hope expecting mothers and fathers will feel empowered to
embrace the beautiful gift of parenthood.
As a proud Christian, mother, and committed member of the pro-life
movement, I will continuously fight to uphold and defend the dignity of
every life at every stage.
Dobbs lifted the gate for us to move forward, and there is still much
important work to be done.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague Senator Cindy
Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, who also chairs the Pro-Life Caucus of the
U.S. Senate. I want to thank her for organizing this event today
because we just passed the 3-year anniversary of the overturn of Roe v.
Wade. That was on June 24, 2022.
That decision was a pivotal moment in our Nation's history. Roe v.
Wade was the worst Supreme Court decision, I would argue, since Plessy
v. Ferguson and resulted in the tragic deaths of millions of innocent
lives.
Countless numbers of precious, unborn lives have been saved. In fact,
since Roe was overturned, just in these 3 years, 13 States have
implemented laws to protect life starting at conception; 19 States
total have enacted pro-life laws.
And earlier today, the Supreme Court delivered yet another pro-life
victory in the Medina v. Planned Parenthood decision. The Court
affirmed that States have the right to decide how Medicaid dollars are
spent and that no one can force a State to fund the abortion industry.
For too long, abortion providers like Planned Parenthood have used
Federal healthcare dollars as a backdoor to sustain their operations.
And this ruling puts an end to that abuse and upholds the fact that
taxpayers should never be compelled to subsidize Big Abortion.
Cindy and I are the parents of four--we are now the grandparents of
seven--and have always believed that protecting the unborn is one of
our most important duties. It is a belief that I carry with me each day
in this job at the U.S. Senate.
In fact, that is why back in 2018, I founded the Pro-Life Caucus for
the U.S. Senate. I had no idea at that point--this was pre-Dobbs--how
important our work would become.
And I am grateful to the State of Mississippi, to Senator Hyde-
Smith's home State, where the Dobbs decision came from. It was the
courage of those folks in Mississippi that resulted in that case before
the Supreme Court that had a profound impact across our Nation with
this Supreme Court ruling just a little over 3 years ago.
During my time as chairman of the Pro-Life Caucus, we confirmed pro-
life Justices to the Supreme Court, including Justice Amy Coney
Barrett, who went on to serve as the critical fifth vote to overturn
Roe v. Wade.
I remember that day very well when that news came down. I was struck
by a truth that is found in the Old Testament, the Book of Jeremiah
1:15--this is a great mystery, a mystery of God--where it says:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, [and] before
you were [even] born I set you apart.
What a great truth how God knows this, he loves us, and it is a
reminder that all lives are made in the image of God. That is why there
is dignity and there is value in every single life, and that includes
the unborn, includes the disabled, the aging. All lives are worthy. I
am glad to see our country has made great strides in defending the
defenseless.
When we had our four children, I remember going to those doctor
appointments with Cindy and seeing those amazing images, seeing
ultrasounds. That was 20, 25, 30-plus years ago. Today, we get to
relive that again with our grandchildren. Now our children are having
their babies. The technology is so remarkable. It is amazing to get an
insight of what is going on in the womb.
For those who don't believe in creation and don't believe we were
created, I sometimes have to go back and see the miracle of life that
is occurring as that little baby is being formed in the mom's womb.
But today, the chemical abortion pill is the most widespread form of
abortion. In fact, in 2023, it accounted for 63 percent of all
abortions, and that number continues to rise. President Joe Biden and
his administration removed safety precautions on taking mifepristone,
including the in-person dispensing requirement and followup visit with
a medical provider. Thanks to the Biden administration, the pills can
even be shipped out by mail, despite concrete evidence showing they are
extremely harmful to women.
In fact, the FDA and the pro-abortion advocates market the pill as
``safe as Tylenol.'' But here are the facts: There is a recently
published analysis of health insurance claims of over 865,000 women
across the United States. They found that 1 in 10 women experiences
serious adverse effects, many of these resulting in emergency room
visits.
Let me share a stat here that is going to be shocking. The data here
is irrefutable. We invite anybody to come check this data out. Here was
the conclusion: The adverse health effects for women in this most
recent study was 22 times higher than what is on the FDA's label on the
abortion pills. Clearly, in no way is that abortion pill safe, and the
FDA should reevaluate appropriate protections surrounding its use.
I am confident that with President Trump's leadership, with our
Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, we are going to make some
progress here. Already, President Trump is supporting the pro-life
movement. One of his first actions after taking office was to pardon 23
peaceful pro-life protesters who were unjustly incarcerated by Joe
Biden's Justice Department.
In the U.S. Senate, I was proud to join my colleagues this Congress
to introduce the Unborn Child Support Act, which will allow pregnant
women to receive child support payments. Caring for a child starts long
before birth. Any pregnant mom--any mom who understands what that
process is like--knows that caring for a child starts long before
birth. By supporting expectant mothers, we recognize the humanity of
the unborn child and make sure that women have access to the resources
they need to choose life. I will fight to get this bill across the
finish line.
It takes courage to stand for life in this day and age. I would like
to take a moment to thank all who have played a role in advancing the
movement, from my fellow Senators here, to advocacy groups, to the
grassroots advocates back in our home States, and to those who offer us
prayers at night. Everybody plays a part.
I am confident that one day, by the grace of God and the actions of
this body, abortion will be unthinkable and every preborn child will be
protected by law.
I spend a lot of time with students who come from our States. We all
know that. We see the kids when they come, the tourists. We have junior
high kids, sometimes grade school, high school students. They come from
small towns, medium towns, and large towns from our States.
So when these Montanans come to our office, I always like holding a
meeting. I bring them into my office, and we sit down. Sometimes there
are not enough chairs, and students will be standing up.
I love to take questions from the students. Invariably, there will be
a student that will raise their hand and ask
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me a question about my stance as it relates to a women's right to
choose or abortion. Rather than be a dad in that moment--and I have
been a dad a lot of moments raising our four children, two boys and two
girls--I think sometimes it is best for us to collect and kind of give
some thought as to how to answer that question.
So I ask: How many of you have a smartphone?
Most every one of those students has a phone.
Let's do a thoughtful experiment here. Go to Google and type in ``15
week baby''--1-5 week baby--and then touch on the ``images'' link on
top. Let's talk about what we see there.
Of course, the students--there is not a lot more said at that point;
it is silence.
I have done this many, many times. I just ask a basic question: Let's
just have a debate. Is that life or not?
If we were NASA scientists and the Mars rover lands on Mars and that
image was projected back to a group of Ph.D. scientists, literally
rocket scientists, would they conclude that is life or not?
I have done this many, many times, and I will tell you, it is just
silence as we all reflect on that basic question.
Why did I pick a 15-week baby in the womb? Because that was the line
of demarcation that Mississippi had in their Dobbs case that defined--
Mississippi said that is where life begins, that is where protections
begin. It was on that basis that case went before the U.S. Supreme
Court, what a 15-week baby looks like.
I think all of us should reflect on that no matter where we are
politically, where we are in terms of advocacy. Just take a look at
those images and reflect and ask yourself: Is that a baby or not? I
think the images and technology today, with the clarity of ultrasounds,
are a pretty convincing argument.
So this week, as we celebrate this historic anniversary of the Dobbs
decision, let's reflect with grateful hearts on the progress we made.
Let's look forward with hope to a future where every life, whether born
or unborn, is valued.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled
rollcall vote be called immediately.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.