[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 28084]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     ENDING PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION

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                          HON. JEB HENSARLING

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 6, 2003

  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the 
Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 and to commend the Congress and 
the President for outlawing the gruesome procedure known as partial-
birth abortion.
  I do not refer to it as ``so-called'' partial-birth abortion like 
some do, because the term is perfectly accurate. An infant is partially 
delivered--often with the entire body outside of the womb except the 
head--then a pair of long, sharp scissors is forced through the back of 
the infant's skull and the doctor sucks the child's brains out before 
completing delivery of the now dead infant.
  The child is just moments away from birth--just a few inches from 
being delivered, from being completely out of the womb and breathing 
fresh air. It is one the most horrific, gruesome procedures I can 
imagine, one performed without anesthetic on an otherwise healthy 
infant that is alive during the process.
  In America today, in our infinite wisdom, we have decided that it is 
``cruel and unusual punishment'' to sentence a prisoner convicted of 
murder to death by electrocution, but we freely allow abortion doctors 
to jam a pair of scissors through the skull of a healthy baby who is a 
tug away from birth, often 20 to 32 weeks in gestation and sometimes at 
fullterm!
  I have often said that in order to reduce the number of abortions in 
this country each year we must change the hearts and minds of the 
people, not just the laws. Sad and unfortunate as every abortion is, I 
am particularly grieved by each child that dies from a partial-birth 
abortion.
  Should we not ban a procedure so violent and so repulsive that even 
many abortion doctors shun, that over 70% of Americans are against, and 
at least 27 States have already outlawed?
  Mr. Speaker, this is a procedure that countless doctors and medical 
professionals have deemed unnecessary to preserve the health or life of 
the mother. Partial birth abortion is never medically necessary, yet we 
have been trying since 1995 to pass a ban on this procedure that a 
president with courage and wisdom will sign.
  As the bill's language states and medical authorities have attested 
to, partial-birth abortion poses serious risks to the health of a woman 
undergoing the procedure and there is no credible medical evidence that 
partial-birth abortions are safe or safer than other abortion 
procedures.
  Hippocrates, the father of medicine and originator of the Hippocratic 
Oath, charged to fellow physicians of his day: First of all, do no 
harm. Certainly all sane and rational people can agree that this 
procedure is anything but harmless, and I would venture to say quite 
ruthless to both the mother and child.
  While there are various versions of the Hippocratic Oath in use 
today, all speak of the physician's obligation to improve the health of 
all patients regardless of station. At a moment in time like this when 
that solemn Oath is not being honored, it is up to Congress and the 
American people to step in and enforce it with decent and reasonable 
laws.
  That is what the partial-birth abortion ban is: a decent and 
reasonable law in response to an indecent act.
  I am pro-life. I believe in the sanctity of life and in my heart and 
mind believe that life begins at conception. I do not believe that 
protecting the lives of the unborn and the rights of women are mutually 
exclusive ideas.
  But that is not what this legislation is about. This is not--and 
should not be--a debate of pro-life verses pro-choice. This is a 
prudent and reasonable bill that we should all be able to agree is 
necessary and important. While this legislation is now law, the fact 
remains that abortion is still legal in the United States. What this 
legislation does is ban the single most violent and gruesome abortion 
procedure: partial-birth abortion.
  Because it is unnecessary, because it is harmful to all parties 
involved, and because it is immoral.
  I am proud to be a cosponsor of this vital legislation, and I am 
thankful to have witnessed the day--after so many years of trying--when 
this Congress, our President and the American people had the decency 
and resolve to see partial-birth abortion outlawed in this great 
Nation.

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