[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 15 (Thursday, January 22, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H1338-H1343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING AND DEFENDING LIFE
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Smith
of New Jersey was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the
majority leader.)
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, Roe v. Wade was overturned by
the decision in Dobbs. It was January 22, 1973, when the U.S. Supreme
[[Page H1339]]
Court infamously said that the unborn child has no worth, no standing
in law whatsoever, and legalized abortion right until the moment of
birth.
We have tried for years. I actually met my wife, Marie, in the pro-
life movement 50 years ago at college--more than 50 years ago. We do
believe, like so many of my colleagues, that life is a gift to be
protected and preserved, and that birth is an event that happens to
every one of us. It is not the beginning of life.
To think that somehow the unborn child is a throwaway and nothing but
an entity that can be destroyed at will is very, very inhumane. We need
to speak out, as we are doing.
I would point out to my colleagues--and I will be very brief and
yield to my colleagues who are here--there are more than 2,700
pregnancy care centers throughout the United States, working to help
women choose life. Each and every one of them is an oasis of love,
compassion, empathy, respect, and care for mothers and their precious
children.
Yet, some States and lawmakers, including my own State of New Jersey,
seek to discriminate against pregnancy care centers by violating
fundamental conscience rights, including trying to compel these centers
to participate or be complicit in abortions. We saw that especially in
California.
The Knights of Columbus has released a poll which found that 83
percent of Americans, including 79 percent of Democrats, support
pregnancy resource centers. We wouldn't have known that, watching the
debate just a couple of days ago on Michelle Fischbach's very, very
important piece of legislation, Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women
and Families Act. It did pass. I thank her for her extraordinary
leadership and courage.
We found during the Biden administration that he was actually working
toward a rule that would have precluded any kind of TANF funding--food
stamps and the like--to pregnancy care centers to be administered and
provided to their clients.
That would have been so cruel to say that, no, we are dealing with
this woman who is poor--they are not all poor that go there, some are
indigent, but they need help. All of a sudden, we find out that Biden
wanted to say that those centers can't participate in this program. Mr.
Speaker, six States do, I am happy to say, and they do provide TANF
funding.
Again, Michelle Fischbach's bill--and I have more to say during this,
but I would like to yield to her. She is in a Ways and Means Committee
meeting now. It is underway. I thank her for that leadership. I can't
say how important these pregnancy care centers are.
I have been working with them for over 50 years. Louise Summerhill
from Canada started the first group of them called Birthright. They
were there to say: Look, we love you. We will help you. All of the
centers that are now in existence do an amazing job. They are global.
Again, there are 2,700 of these tremendous centers in our country. We
have got about 55 of them in my own State alone.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs.
Fischbach) and thank her for her legislation this week.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I have known Representative Smith for
many years through the pro-life movement. He and his wife, Marie, have
dedicated so much time, energy, and effort to promote the culture of
life and making sure that women, their families, and their babies are
cared for and supported.
I thank Representative Smith and his lovely wife, Marie, for all that
they have done. He is an inspiration in this movement and this fight to
make sure that babies are protected.
{time} 1810
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I would add that the
gentlewoman's husband, Scott, is a tremendous leader and head of
National Right to Life.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much for his
comments, but the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) has done so
much by leading us through this.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heart full of gratitude, not only
for the privilege of serving the people of western Minnesota but for
the significant step the House took yesterday of passing the Supporting
Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act.
This is more than just a legislative win. This is a victory for every
woman who has ever felt alone during a pregnancy. It is a victory for
every father who wants to provide for their child, and it is a victory
for the thousands of pregnancy resource centers across our Nation that
offer a hand to hold when an uncertain path is faced.
We didn't just vote for a policy. We voted for hope. For me, the pro-
life movement has never been just a political platform or a set of
talking points. It is personal. As a mother and a grandmother, I have
seen the miracle of life at every stage, from that first grainy image
on an ultrasound that everyone clings to, to the incredible moment of
feeling a child's first kick, and then that moment when you get to meet
that child face to face for the first time.
Those memories drive me to ensure that every woman in this country
has the support that she needs to experience those same miracles with
confidence rather than fear.
My journey in public service has been shaped by these moments. From
my time in the Minnesota State Senate to my role as the co-chair of the
Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, my mission has been simple: To ensure
that our laws reflect the beauty and the value of every human life.
Being pro-life means so much more than being anti-abortion. To be
truly pro-life is to be pro-woman and profamily. We must acknowledge
that, for many women, an unexpected pregnancy comes with fear,
uncertainty, and financial strain. Our response as a movement and as a
government must be one of clear and tangible support.
We need to be able to tell mothers that they are not alone. The pro-
life movement is a positive one, a movement that surrounds women and
their children with hope and support.
I have fought to advance policies to make it easier to raise a
family, whether it was expanding the child tax credit, supporting
maternal healthcare, or streamlining the adoption process. Our goal is
to create a culture where every mother feels empowered to choose life
because she knows that she has the resources to flourish.
I have stood firmly for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection
Act because every child who enters this world deserves the same medical
care regardless of the circumstances of their birth. I have advocated
for the Hyde amendment, ensuring that the conscious rights of millions
of Americans are respected and that taxpayer dollars are not used to
fund the destruction of human life.
These are not extreme positions. They are compassionate positions.
They are positions rooted in the belief that a society is measured by
how it treats those who have no power, no vote, and no voice. My goal
is to build a country where every child is welcomed in life and
protected by law.
Tomorrow, thousands of Americans, many of them young students and
family, will descend on our Nation's Capital and across the country at
State marches in every corner of the country. In my home State of
Minnesota, they gathered today at the State capitol, even in the
extreme cold.
They will march, determined to build a culture of life, a culture
that supports a father who wants to be present, a mother who is
finishing her education, and a child who is waiting to take their first
breath.
The pro-life movement is often characterized by what they are
against, but with the passage of the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting
Women and Families Act, we have shown what we are for. We are for the
mother. We are for the baby. We are for the family.
As the marchers arrive in Washington tonight and tomorrow morning,
let them know that their voices have been heard in these Halls. Let
them know that we will not stop working until our laws reflect the
beautiful truth that every life is a gift from God.
I am proud of the work we have done, and I am even more hopeful for
the work we will do tomorrow and into the future.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from
Minnesota for her very eloquent remarks, and as former president of the
Minnesota Senate, where she was a great leader there. I thank the
gentlewoman for her work on all of these
[[Page H1340]]
issues, but especially this week on getting that important bill passed.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for his
comments.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I now recognize the gentlewoman
from Illinois (Mrs. Miller), who is a great voice, has great strength
on behalf of the family and the unborn child, and has a number of bills
that she has offered dealing with the life issue.
Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, 53 years ago, the tragedy of Roe v. Wade was decided,
and 65 million innocent lives are not here. It is hard to even
calculate the loss that this has been. God created them. God had a
purpose for their lives, and God meant to bless the world through them.
Perhaps they were teachers who could have nurtured the next
generation, doctors who could have cured cancer, lawyers who could have
defended the defenseless, or musicians who could have written the next
great symphony.
Thankfully, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe,
returning the issue of abortion to Congress and the States. Since
Dobbs, 17 States have acted to protect life from the moment of
conception.
Still, there is so much work to be done. An equal number of States
now allow abortion through all 9 months of pregnancy, including my home
State of Illinois.
Last year, this body took a significant step forward by defunding
Planned Parenthood in the working families tax cut, resulting in 50 of
their clinics closing.
By the way, Planned Parenthood is not pro-choice. They are pro-
abortion. If they were pro-choice, they would want women to make
informed choices, which is why I want to pass legislation requiring an
ultrasound to be done and a waiting period before a woman has an
abortion.
The greatest privilege of my life is to be a mother of 7, grandma of
23, and soon to be a great-grandma. That includes being a grandma to
two children with Down syndrome, one born to us and one adopted.
Every time I meet young couples, I encourage them to have one more.
Psalm 127 reminds us that children are a heritage from the Lord.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Smith for his leadership in
defending the most vulnerable. I look forward to working with the
gentleman and our colleagues to secure more pro-life victories.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Miller) for her great leadership. Her voice is always
there, and I thank her so much for that.
Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Onder),
who is co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. He also is the
author of laws when he was in the legislature in Missouri, and he is a
doctor and really gets it, and also has another degree in law. He is
the package. He does it all.
Mr. ONDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, for decades under Chairman Smith's leadership, the House
Pro-Life Caucus has worked as a strong coalition for life, and I am
grateful to serve along with the gentleman as a caucus co-chairman.
Today, we remember the 53rd anniversary of the erroneous and lawless
Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade. When the Court held that the 14th
Amendment's reference to liberty protected a right to abortion, with
the stroke of a pen, the Supreme Court empowered the abortion industry
to kill millions of unborn children.
A research paper published in the ``American Journal of Public
Health'' two decades after Roe found that the Supreme Court's decision
caused a 4.5 percent decline in births in States where abortion was not
already legal. Vast numbers of babies were never born.
Thankfully, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in one of the
biggest victories for life in American history. Dobbs v. Jackson
rightfully upheld that the Constitution does not confer a right to
abortion, returning the authority to regulate abortion to the American
people and to their elected Representatives.
The Constitution makes no explicit reference to obtain an abortion.
The Founding Fathers never intended the Constitution to give a license
to kill.
{time} 1820
Unlike the post-Roe era, where births noticeably declined, Dobbs v.
Jackson ushered in the current pro-life era. A study from the Journal
of the American Medical Association found that from the Dobbs v.
Jackson decision on June 24, 2022, through the end of 2023, 22,000 more
babies were born in States that enacted pro-life laws.
Even though Dobbs v. Jackson saved many lives, our work to defend the
unborn is far from finished. For decades, Federal tax dollars have
supported disturbing, outdated, and ghoulish research on tissues
obtained from aborted babies. Biden's National Institutes of Health
devoted roughly $53 million to human fetal tissue research in both 2023
and 2024. Despite spending millions of dollars on this barbaric
research, it has failed to produce any meaningful medical breakthrough.
Not a single therapy depends on aborted fetal tissue research.
At the same time, proven and ethical alternatives exist. Lifesaving
treatments, such as insulin for diabetes and Herceptin for cancer, were
developed without fetal tissue research. Umbilical cord blood is used
to successfully treat thousands of patients with blood disorders, and
adult stem cell therapies have benefited over a million people
worldwide, addressing cancers, blood diseases, and autoimmune diseases.
There is no justification for continuing to fund research using
aborted fetal tissue. That is why I introduced the Protecting Life and
Integrity in Research Act, which blocks all Federal funding of research
using human fetal tissue obtained from an induced abortion.
Earlier this year, I met with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya to
discuss this, and he agreed that it is high time to end aborted fetal
tissue research at the NIH.
That is why I am happy to say today that the NIH announced that they
will no longer support research with human fetal tissue. This is a huge
victory, and I thank Dr. Bhattacharya for his work righting the ship at
NIH. Now it is time for Congress to finish the job by passing the
Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act to make this change
permanent.
Finally, I want to applaud the thousands of pro-life champions who
will be attending tomorrow's March for Life here in Washington, D.C.
Your courage and advocacy are vital to advancing the cause of life.
The fight for human dignity is a worthy cause. Never give up fighting
for unborn children who cannot fight for themselves.
Scripture tells us that God has a plan for every human life before it
comes into existence on Earth. In Jeremiah 1:5, God tells the prophet
Jeremiah: ``Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you
were born, I dedicated you.''
We also read in the book of St. Luke that Elizabeth's baby leapt in
the womb upon hearing Mary's greeting. That baby that leapt for joy in
Elizabeth's womb was none other than John the Baptist, who prepared the
way for the Lord and baptized him in the River Jordan.
Please continue to keep your elected officials in your prayers as we
strive to promote a culture of life.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank Bob for his leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman). I
would just point out for the record that she has 34 years as a
litigator, is admitted to practice in several States and the United
States Supreme Court, and is a distinguished member of the Committee on
the Judiciary.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Smith for the honor of being
able to speak this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight as we mark with sadness the anniversary
of the Roe v. Wade decision, a ruling that for decades removed the most
basic and fundamental right we hold, the right to life itself. I stand
here unwavering in my conviction that every human life is a sacred gift
and deserves our protection.
[[Page H1341]]
Life begins at conception, and it is our solemn duty as lawmakers to
defend those who cannot speak for themselves. We should never tire of
advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and we must continue
striving for a culture that cherishes life at every stage.
Since the Supreme Court returned authority over this issue to the
States with the Dobbs decision, millions of Americans have exercised
their democratic voice, but our work is not done. We must keep pushing
for laws that protect life, support families, and uphold the values
that make America a beacon of freedom and justice.
May we rededicate ourselves to defending the unborn and promoting a
society where every life has dignity and every voice is heard.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Clyde). He is a combat veteran who served for 28 years, a
member of the Committee on Appropriations, and just has been, again,
outspoken and very effective over these years on defending the unborn.
Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Smith for holding
tonight's Special Order. It is so very important.
Fifty-three years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of the most
horrendous and devastating rulings in its nearly 237-year-old history.
On this solemn anniversary, we pause to remember the unborn babies who
had their lives unjustly stolen under the evils of the Roe v. Wade
decision.
This treacherous ruling paved the way for the murder of more than 63
million unborn children. These precious souls were denied their first
and most fundamental right: the right to life.
Our Declaration of Independence rightly proclaims that we are endowed
by our ``creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,'' and ``that to secure
these rights, governments are instituted among men.'' That is right,
the responsibility of government is to secure these rights, to preserve
the right to life.
Our God-given right to life should be universally recognized as a
blessing, not flagrantly disregarded in an attempt to justify the
murder of innocent, unborn children.
While our Nation will never know the friends, colleagues, and leaders
lost to the evils of abortion, it is our solemn obligation to honor and
mourn these unborn lives. That is why, both this Congress and last
Congress, I have proudly led a resolution to recognize today, January
22, as the day of tears.
In addition to this somber recognition, may we also give thanks to
God Almighty for his gracious blessings of the victorious Dobbs
decision, which effectively overturned Roe v. Wade.
Dobbs marks an incredible, historic victory in the fight to protect
the unborn. Yet, we must remain ever vigilant, using every tool at our
disposal to uphold and defend the sanctity of human life.
Tomorrow, I will be participating in the March for Life right here in
Washington, D.C. As an unapologetic pro-life conservative, I am proud
to be part of this fight because every life is invaluable, worthy, and
made in the perfect image of God.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), who has four committee assignments: Budget,
Judiciary, Education and Workforce, and Oversight and Government
Reform. I don't know where he finds the time, but I do thank him for
his great leadership on pro-life.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a weekend chosen to be the week
that Roe v. Wade went into effect in 1973 and that we mourn the deaths
of the millions of Americans whose lives were cut short by abortion.
It is particularly sad that recently the abortion rate in this
country has been going up. That is a stain on our country and, quite
frankly, a stain on the churches that are failing to educate our young
people on the importance of keeping every life going.
It is interesting that, in Wisconsin, abortion was illegal from
around 1850 until Roe v. Wade went into effect. At that time, there
were no ultrasounds. Medical care was a fraction of what it is today.
Despite the fact that medical care was worse than it is today,
everybody knew that abortion was horrific, ultrasound or not. I don't
believe there was a strong effort made until Roe v. Wade to legalize
abortion in the State of Wisconsin until the Supreme Court did it.
We have to ask ourselves, the people: What has happened? What has
happened to young Americans? Right now, to be honest, politically, to
run pro-life in the State of Wisconsin, or at least in many States
around the country, is a negative.
{time} 1830
When I first got involved in public life, I think the majority of
people were broadly considered pro-life. Now the opposite is true.
Why is that? Who do we blame for the fact that acceptance of abortion
has gone up over the last 9 or 10 years?
I am going to suggest the churches have to be more vocal and do a
better job of educating people about this issue.
Like I said, in today's world with ultrasounds, in today's world with
such great medical care that it would be virtually impossible to have
serious consequences after having an abortion, it should be easier than
ever to make people pro-life. Unfortunately, that is not so.
So what I will do today is I will challenge the churches and anybody
out there listening, members of a church, the laity, the priests, the
ministers, to do what they can to educate the childbearing women in
your church or of childbearing age of the horrors of abortion and the
importance for everybody to do what they can to prevent these precious
lives from being cut short.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), the distinguished chairman of the Labor, Health
and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Subcommittee. He is also the chair of the House Values Action Team.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, it is great to have a chance to address
the House on this anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision and to
recognize the tragedy that took place in 1973.
Of course, the Dobbs decision as we know rightly returned this issue
to the American people and their elected Representatives. But our work
continues to make sure that the lives of the unborn are protected both
on the State and on the Federal level.
I want to just say thank you to Chris Smith and the chairs of the
Pro-Life Caucus for their continued work on the pro-life issue. Having
served with Chris Smith for many, many years here in the House of
Representatives, I can tell you this is an issue that he takes very
seriously, as he should, and for his leadership we applaud him. I thank
him for all his hard work and all that he does in chairing the Pro-Life
Caucus.
Also, I want to thank the marchers for life for organizing a powerful
and meaningful day that we will have tomorrow as Americans across the
United States unite in their commitment to celebrate and defend life.
Here in Congress it is one of my greatest honors to be a voice on
Capitol Hill for the most vulnerable among us: our unborn children.
For me, my pro-life stance is deeply rooted in my Christian faith and
belief that all human life is precious, and it is a gift from the
almighty God. Defending the unborn has long been one of my highest
priorities, and the first term I got elected to Congress, one of my
first votes was cast in favor of life.
This is a celebration of life to celebrate the Dobbs decision. It is
a celebration of lives that have been saved thanks to advocates like
March for Life. I would like to thank every advocate for their
unwavering dedication to this cause. I look forward to continuing our
work together until every child is guaranteed our most fundamental
right, and that is the right to life.
As I have said before, no argument made by the other side can triumph
this one undeniable fact, and that is abortion stops a beating heart.
Mr. Speaker, may God bless you, and may God bless the unborn in this
country and around the world.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank the
gentleman, especially for his leadership as
[[Page H1342]]
the chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and
Related Agencies bill. He has worked so hard to preserve the Hyde
amendment and all the other important pro-life amendments that have to
be renewed every single year. The gentleman has been a force. He stands
tall. He makes a very, very articulate argument, not only in committee
but here on the floor, and I thank the gentleman for that. It is truly
remarkable.
Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude my comments, today first, by noting
how grateful I am to the Members of this House who speak out with
compassion and boldly in defense of the unborn and equally of their
mothers.
Abortion has two victims--three if there are twins--the babies and
then their moms. Then there is even extenuating damage done to the
family that is grossly underappreciated with father's rights being
abridged and completely set aside with this so-called abortion
decision.
Let me point out to my colleagues that the purveyors of death and
their enablers in politics, the media, and academia aggressively foster
a culture of death, denial, disrespect, and discrimination against
babies and employ an endless array of deceitful tactics designed to
trivialize and mask the cruel and ugly reality of abortion, presenting
the violence of abortion as a so-called right.
One only has to look beyond the slogans and surface appeal arguments
to find the harsh reality of abortion. The abortion pill mifepristone
is baby poison. It kills the unborn child by starving the innocent baby
to death.
I do a lot on world hunger. I do a lot on domestic hunger. Mr.
Speaker, I believe in the importance of nutrition. Two global food
security acts have passed this House as my bills. In the past they went
on to become law. I believe in it strongly, and, yet, mifepristone, the
abortion pill, starves the baby to death.
I had a meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations
Guterres in my office a couple years ago, and he, too, believes in
alleviating and ameliorating world hunger. I said: Mr. Secretary
General, how could we be simultaneously looking to mitigate the damage
of crop failure, famine, and all the others and its implications for
food insecurity while simultaneously starving an entire segment of
society, unborn babies, to death? How could we do that? He had no
answer. His staff had no answer.
We have to face these realities and stop looking askance and looking
as if they don't exist. It is a horrible reality.
Let me also point out to my colleagues that the abortion pill--about
60 percent of all the abortions now are procured through mifepristone
in the United States. It is very dangerous to women. Bill Clinton and
his FDA Commissioner Kessler went over and begged that Roussel Uclaf,
who then was marketing this abortion pill, send it to the United
States.
Where does the FDA commissioner come in saying we need this baby
poison? It doesn't cure anything, unless you construe an unborn child
to be a tumor or something that needs to be vanquished and excised, and
of course, they are not.
They are God's gift to each and every one of us, and every one of us
here today at one time was in that stage of development as the unborn.
What we have now found out, which is what we have known for years, is
that based on the most recent study by the group, the Ethics and Public
Policy Center--it is the largest study ever done, ever, nothing even
comes close, and they did it in a way that almost takes out bias in
terms of reporting--they found, and, again, this is the biggest study
we have ever seen, that more than 1 in 10 patients experience a serious
adverse event from the abortion pill, 1 in 10. That is 10.93 percent.
What are these damages? These damages are serious infection; sepsis,
which could be life threatening; hemorrhaging; and a number of other
adverse events.
Do you hear Planned Parenthood ever saying, oh, the pill carries with
it all of these deleterious effects to women? Never. They tell lies
that deceive women and they say that, oh, it is very, very safe.
{time} 1840
I am very critical of the FDA for all these years. They did sham
studies on this over the years. We pointed it out. Nobody listened, and
now this study breaks through and says: Please, the women need to know
that there are very serious consequences to this abortion pill.
Let me also say to my colleagues that, yes, everyone in the pro-life
movement who can make it will be at the March for Life tomorrow here in
Washington. Thank God that the growing number of young people in this
country are pro-life, rejecting the very surface appeal argumentation
that has been used to dismiss and trivialize the beautiful life of an
unborn child and, again, the terrible effects that these abortions have
on women.
Today, and it will be announced officially tomorrow, the Trump
Administration has just announced a comprehensive new policy protecting
life in foreign assistance. It is humane, life-affirming, and rejects
the culture of death which we have been exporting all over the world by
hijacking our foreign aid for very good projects such as malaria
alleviation and PEPFAR, which is a good program, but it was hijacked by
the Biden administration. The recipients of that funding were told:
Change the policies of the country where you are working to have
abortion on demand.
The only reason PEPFAR didn't get reauthorized in the last Congress
was because of that, because he had hijacked it. Unfortunately, that is
not what we signed up for. We wanted to mitigate mother-to-child
transmission, and I did the reauthorization of it for 5 years several
years ago. I really believe in it, and I was shocked, dismayed, and
angered that the Biden administration took that money and used it for
things that it was not intended to be used for.
The new conditions that have been now promulgated--the rule goes into
effect shortly, Monday, I believe--actually conditions $30 billion in
foreign aid to serve humanitarian and health needs around the world
instead of bankrolling U.N. entities and NGOs that promote and perform
abortion violence.
Mr. Speaker, I can't tell you how discouraged I am that the WHO has
become just another Planned Parenthood, and they push abortion on
demand right until birth. There are no conscience rights, Mr. Speaker.
If you are an OB/GYN or a nurse or anyone else, you can't say: Please,
I don't want to be involved. Governments would have coercive power to
say: You do that, or else you are not licensed any longer.
Mr. Speaker, I would say to my colleagues, too, that a Marist Poll
that was released today found that a huge majority of Americans, 69
percent, oppose using tax dollars to support abortion in other
countries. Mr. Speaker, twenty-nine percent are for it. I would point
out that for the Independents it is 59 percent. Republicans are even
higher, and Democrats are tied in terms of those who support promoting
global abortion and those who do not, but 69 percent in the aggregate
feel that way.
At this podium in 1985, I offered the amendment to defund the UNFPA
because of its forced abortion complicity which was shameless--it is
the same today, in China, especially--but also to protect the Reagan
Mexico City policy which has now been reiterated and strengthened by
the Trump administration.
This is really important, lifesaving work, and I am shocked and
dismayed, again, that so many people don't see the very simple fact.
The next time you see an ultrasound, Mr. Speaker, of children or your
grandchildren, just remember those very children at that very age are
being dismembered or chemically poisoned by this abortion pill. Again,
I don't know how anybody defends dismemberment abortions.
What got me into this movement way back when, in 1972, was when I saw
the effect of a dismemberment abortion. Limbs were hacked off, and
decapitation of the head was seen as a benign procedure called a D&E. I
am just shocked that people don't see that that is violence against
children. Equally, it is violence against mothers.
Mr. Speaker, I call on everyone who might be watching this: Please
pray for this movement. Pray for the mothers. Pregnancy care centers
are filled to
[[Page H1343]]
overflowing with women who have had abortions and never want to see
another woman suffer like that.
I have met with so many. During the Michelle Fischbach bill the other
day I talked about one woman who was trafficked. She was trafficked for
years. She was helped by a pregnancy care center who just loved her and
helped her with her child both during the pregnancy and afterward. Now
she is running a pregnancy care center because she cares so much that
no other woman experience whatever the trauma is that she had gone
through. I do thank her.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), who
is my good friend and colleague.
Mr. BARR. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the leader of
the Pro-Life Caucus, for his longstanding leadership and commitment to
this virtuous cause. He has made an amazing difference. Perseverance is
what defines this movement, and we are so grateful for his leadership
in this country and for this important cause.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Tatum
Elizabeth Dale, a proud Kentuckian, a dedicated public servant, and one
of the best people I have ever had the blessing of serving with.
Tatum was my district director, and she passed away at the young age
of 35 years old on Christmas Eve from complications of moyamoya. For
over 15 years, Tatum served side by side with me for the people of the
Sixth Congressional District and the Commonwealth she loved.
She held almost every job a person could hold in my office:
scheduler, field representative, deputy district director, district
director, and, finally, deputy chief of staff.
She earned every role not through ambition but through trust. Titles
never defined Tatum. Results did.
Tatum was Kentucky through and through. She grew up on a farm outside
of Murray where she learned the values that would guide her entire
life: hard work, humility, faith, loyalty, service to others, and the
cause of life. Those values shaped everything she did.
She knew our district better than anyone else. She knew the
communities, the leaders, the families, and the history. She remembered
names, conversations, and details others would forget. Constituents
didn't see her as a staffer or my district director. They saw her as an
advocate who listened, followed through, and fought for them. She was
Tatum. She wasn't the Congressman's chief of staff. She was Tatum.
Tatum had a special devotion to eastern Kentucky. She knew the
hollers and the highways, the county judges and the community leaders,
and the unique challenges facing those communities. She made sure that
they were never overlooked.
One of the best examples of that commitment came in Menifee County
where she loved the people and she loved the community. She took on the
U.S. Forest Service over the proposed removal of the safety buoys at
Cave Run Lake. Tatum singlehandedly organized, advocated, and
ultimately won, protecting tourism, safety, and local economic
development. When the county newspaper ran a front-page story about
this victory, she proudly displayed it in her office throughout the
rest of her career.
She also poured herself into addiction recovery efforts, helping
establish the Sixth District addiction recovery working group and
securing millions of dollars in Federal grants for Narcan distribution,
counseling, recovery services, and transitional housing. Her work saved
lives.
She was a fierce advocate for our veterans and helped set up and
worked for our veterans in casework with the veterans' coalition.
Beyond government, Tatum lived her faith. Through her church, she
participated in mission trips to Haiti where she served children living
in deep poverty. She loved them, she prayed for them, and she gave them
hope. Service for Tatum was not confined to a job description. She made
a difference wherever she went.
Inside our office, Tatum was the heartbeat of our team. Her
leadership philosophy was simple: last to eat, first to fight.
She mentored young staff, protected her colleagues, and demanded
excellence, always with kindness. She showed up early, stayed late, and
never asked anyone to do anything she wouldn't do herself.
She was also my most trusted adviser. She knew when to challenge me--
she did--and she knew when to steady me. She made me a better
Congressman, and she made our team better public servants.
Kentucky lost a daughter who honored her home in everything she did.
Our office lost a leader, our communities lost a fierce advocate, and
all of us lost a friend.
Her legacy lives on in the lives she helped, in the problems she
solved, and in the example she set for what public service should be.
Tatum Dale served others every single day of her life. She loved
people. That is why she did it. She did her work beautifully. We will
honor her best by carrying forward the standard she set.
Rest well, dear Tatum. You are missed, you are remembered, and you
will never be forgotten.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
____________________