[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 840]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                             MARCH FOR LIFE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. AARON SCHOCK

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 25, 2011

  Mr. SCHOCK. Mr. Speaker I rise today to recognize the thousands of 
Americans who have come to Washington, D.C. for the annual March for 
Life. Starting as a grassroots movement in response to the U.S. Supreme 
Court's fateful 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, the March for Life has 
grown to over 200,000 participants in recent years. I applaud this 
year's marchers who traveled across the country, including many from my 
home state of Illinois, to show their support for the unborn.
  Abortion is one of the great tragedies of the last half century. In 
2008 there were 1.21 million abortions in the United States, the 
equivalent of 100,000 abortions per month. I believe we need to 
continue to work with women, many of whom are afraid of the 
consequences of an unwanted pregnancy, on the alternatives to abortion. 
Crisis Pregnancy Centers, for example, provide various services to 
pregnant women including pre-natal care, counseling, pregnancy tests 
and information on adoption.
  Putting a child up for adoption is never an easy choice, but it is a 
preferred alternative to abortion. Adoption gives the pregnant woman 
the opportunity to bring happiness to another family that may not have 
the ability to have children of their own. According to the 
Administration for Children and Families and the U.S. Census Bureau, 
57,000 children were adopted in the United States in 2009. Those 57,000 
children will now have a better chance to have a successful and 
productive life.
  On this, the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I applaud the hard work 
of all who were involved in this year's March for Life. I urge my 
colleagues to support legislation which honors the most innocent of 
human life.

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