[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 859-864]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1600
                  PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF THE UNBORN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to the distinguished gentlelady from 
Missouri, Ann Wagner.
  Ms. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate and thank the gentleman for 
yielding and for hosting this very important Special Order today and 
for his lifetime of service in protecting the rights of the unborn, 
those who have no voice.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the sanctity of life. Sadly, 
tomorrow is the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and hundreds of 
thousands of people, including pro-life advocates from my own hometown 
of St. Louis, Missouri, will gather in our Nation's capital in honor of 
the over 56 million precious angels we have lost since that infamous 
Supreme Court decision, not to mention the millions of women who have 
been adversely affected in the aftermath of their abortion, both 
physically and emotionally.
  I first participated in the March for Life 25 years ago this week, in 
1990. I was 28 years old with a real bad hairdo, and I was 12 weeks 
pregnant with my son Stephen. At that point, at 12 weeks in my 
pregnancy, Stephen was able to suck his thumb. A few weeks later, at 15 
weeks, he could make facial expressions and he had taste buds. By 17 
weeks, Stephen began to kick. By week 18, his ears had developed and he 
could hear. By week 20, not only was Stephen able to recognize my voice 
as his mother, but he was capable of feeling pain.
  While killing an unborn child is unconscionable at anytime, it is 
especially abhorrent at the 20-week mark when a child is able to feel 
the pain of an abortion.
  Mr. Speaker, the theme of this year's march is ``Every Life is a 
Gift,'' and I truly believe that life at all stages, from conception to 
natural death, is, indeed, a gift. I am for the life of the baby. I am 
also for the life of the mother and oftentimes the victim.
  I will continue to work and to pray for the day when abortion is not 
only illegal, but abortion is unthinkable.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I want to thank Ms. Wagner for her very 
eloquent statement and for her long service on behalf of the unborn and 
equally for their mothers as well.
  I yield to Tim Walberg.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for 
putting this Special Order together on the 42nd anniversary of an 
infamous decision, Roe v. Wade, Mr. Speaker, where I believe the 
Supreme Court stepped out of their role and unconstitutionally set up 
the course that has gone on to this day, the murder of innocents and, 
ultimately, murder of innocence of our country as well that in its 
inception was established on a principle that was well known, well 
understood, and put into our Declaration of Independence that said:

       We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are 
     created equal and endowed by their creator with certain 
     unalienable rights, among them the right to life, liberty, 
     and the pursuit of happiness.

  It all begins with life. I will never forget 8 years ago as I stood 
in a maternity ward at Northwestern University Hospital and waited for 
word from the room where my daughter-in-law was giving birth to our 
first two grandchildren, twins John Timothy and Micah Todd.
  Micah Todd is now 8 years old, happy, healthy, moving forward. John 
Timothy we look forward to seeing him again some day in heaven. For 8 
days he lived on this Earth. He fought after being born with his twin 
brother at 26 weeks. I watched them as they fought for life. I watched 
them at less than 12 inches long, one pound, 12 ounces, fighting for 
life, understanding in their own way that this is what they were 
supposed to do. They were capable of pain. They were capable of doing 
what nature's God had enabled them to do.
  That changed my life more than ever before, though back in 1982 I ran 
for the State house on the issue of life itself. That is what brought 
me out of the pulpit as a pastor and brought me into the arena to try 
to promote life and go away from that terrible decision that the 
Supreme Court put upon us.
  Now I think 42 years later we have seen gains in this country, as we 
will see millennials come out of Metro tubes tomorrow, as we will see 
young people standing in front of us speaking for life, declaring their 
desire to see abortion ended, and I am hopeful that in our day we will 
see that take place not because of religion, not even because of 
politics, but because of people understanding the sanctity of life, 
understood by the prophet Jeremiah when he said after the words of God 
himself:

       Before I was formed in my mother's womb, you knew me and 
     declared the days of my life.

  Mr. Speaker, my colleague from New Jersey, all of my colleagues who 
will stand in defense of life, I say thank you. Let's not give up, 
because we are on the right side.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I now yield to the gentleman from Indiana, 
Marlin Stutzman.
  Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for 
his tireless work on this, such an important issue for our day and age.
  Mr. Speaker, on this 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must 
remember the innocent lives who were never given a chance to live the 
American Dream. Since 1973, tens of millions of innocent unborn 
children have been denied an opportunity to grow and to be successful.
  In America, we are always espousing the belief that anything is 
possible, that anyone can achieve their dreams if they set their minds 
to it, and yet it is here in this country where we deny those dreams to 
so many.
  Mr. Speaker, I was born in 1976, and I am so thankful that my mother, 
at the age of 17, chose life and gave me the gift of life, because my 
Federal Government at the time 3 years earlier said it was okay for her 
to end it if she so chose.
  Most of us have very strong feelings about the value of life. We must 
continue to seek opportunities to promote

[[Page 860]]

a culture of life that protects the innocent.
  Tomorrow, tens of thousands of people from all across the country 
will descend on The National Mall to champion the belief that every 
life is a gift, and Congress will have an opportunity to act and show 
that we are listening through the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection 
Act, a bill that I urge my colleagues to support.
  We may meet some obstacles, but the pro-life movement will not be 
shaken. We will continue to fight to protect the unborn. We will 
continue to fight and provide a voice for those who do not have one. We 
will continue to fight because we believe that America should be a 
place where everyone is protected by law and welcomed to life. This is 
our goal, and I pray that together we will achieve it.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I want to thank my friend for his, again, 
very fine statement and for his leadership as well.
  I yield to Chris Stewart from Utah.
  Mr. STEWART. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues in thanking my 
friend Mr. Smith for giving us this opportunity to address such an 
important and a deeply personal issue.
  I am the proud father of six children, and nothing in the world means 
more to me. My life changed forever the first time I held my first son. 
I look at my sons and daughters, and I am humbled by the responsibility 
it is to be their parent, and I am touched always by the power and the 
blessing of life.
  Now I am a grandfather, and that fact alone makes my life very good. 
This week we commemorate the anniversary of one of the most significant 
Supreme Court cases in the history of the United States, of course, Roe 
v. Wade.
  We also welcome thousands of pro-life activists who came to our 
Nation's Capital to participate in the March for Life. Think about that 
title for a moment, the March for Life. It is extremely important as 
Members of Congress to stand up for those who do not have a voice to 
stand up for themselves, our precious unborn children.
  Tomorrow the House will vote on H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn 
Child Protection Act, which protects the lives of unborn by banning 
abortions at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy. With medical evidence that 
an unborn child is capable of experiencing pain by at least 20 weeks, 
if not earlier, I will support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues 
to support it as well. Think of what we would be saying if we were to 
reject this bill.
  Now, I understand that there are exceptions, and I recognize the 
woman's health is just as important as her child. Thus, we made 
reasonable medical judgment exceptions, which would be made in the case 
of rape, incest, or an endangerment of the mother's life.
  As I conclude, I would like to reiterate my opening remarks. Each 
life is sacred. Each life has a right to protection. I urge my 
colleagues to help to defend the innocent lives of America's unborn 
children and represent those who cannot represent themselves.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Stewart, thank you very much for your 
statement and your leadership as well.
  I now yield to Mr. Yoho, the gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my dear colleague, Mr. Smith, 
for holding this important pro-life Special Order that gives a life to 
the unborn.
  I stand here today in defense of the thousands of unborn children 
whose lives were ended through no fault of their own. These children 
are precious gifts and cannot defend themselves. They do not have the 
luxury to debate whether or not society should recognize them as living 
beings.
  As a Christian and the proud father also of three children, I 
strongly believe in the sanctity of life and that it begins at 
conception. My heart aches for the thousands of unborn children who 
will never have that chance to experience the wonder of life.
  Life is truly a miracle granted through the grace of nature's God, 
and I am here today to say every life is a gift and every life does 
matter.
  It has been 42 years since the Supreme Court made their ruling in Roe 
v. Wade. Since that ruling, an estimated--and I want to repeat this, an 
estimated--55 million lives have been lost. That is more than the total 
population of the northeast States. That is more than the population of 
the State of California.
  Future generations will look back and judge us. They will judge us on 
our failure to protect the most innocent among us. They will judge us 
for allowing infanticide, human genocide of our next generation yet to 
come.
  This week, the defenders of life in the thousands have and will come 
to Washington, D.C., to support the sanctity of life. This has grown 
into the largest pro-life event in the world. I want them to know we 
will keep fighting to defend the silent, unborn child.
  How can we as a nation--how can we as a nation--have laws that 
protect the embryo of a sea turtle or bald eagle but yet refuse to 
protect the same of our own species? Shouldn't the lives of the unborn 
children matter as much as these in the eyes of the law?
  These lives, these gifts, these human beings deserve to be protected 
and defended.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I now yield to Doug LaMalfa from California.

                              {time}  1615

  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) for leading this Special Order today, and also for 
the comments started out by the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. 
Wagner), very heartfelt, that reflect the importance of this.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the sanctity of human 
life and to recognize those who will be in Washington, D.C., tomorrow 
for the March for Life. I am pleased to join my colleagues and 
individuals who have traveled from near and far to be in solidarity to 
protect the rights of the unborn. I applaud those marchers who come 
here year after year despite snow, rainy conditions, and cold 
conditions to stand up for such a vital cause. It is their efforts and 
determination which gives substance and meaning to this year's theme, 
``Every Life is a Gift''--and to march for the truth.
  As a parent, I wish all parents would understand what the gift is 
that the Lord has bestowed with one of these young lives upon you. That 
is part of our mission, to help them understand, to educate. That is 
part of the mission of the March for Life, to appreciate that these are 
gifts, even through the hard times. We have struggles in all matters of 
our lives, and that is an important one we have to get through as well. 
To understand these blessings that these lives are.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand before you to convey to these marchers that 
their voice will be heard and will continue to be heard as we fight for 
the dignity of human life.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank the gentleman for his incisive 
comments and for welcoming the marchers tomorrow, which will be a great 
celebration of life but also a restatement of the determination we have 
in defending life.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).
  Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey. What 
a privilege it is to be here with the gentleman from New Jersey, who 
has been fighting this fight for a very long time. I remember back to 
my college days in the 1980s seeing you standing for life.
  I rise today to commemorate the 2015 March for Life, appropriately 
themed ``Every Life is a Gift.'' Life begins at conception and must be 
defended at every stage. Whether for the unborn, the disabled, the 
elderly, we must promote a culture of life. This can and must be done 
through our public policy that is made here in Washington, D.C., just 
as it is being done throughout the country in our communities.
  Across the country there are many places, thousands of pro-life 
pregnancy centers, places like Choices Pregnancy Services in western 
Pennsylvania, which does important work helping families say ``yes'' to 
life by offering free medical and counseling services and helping women 
in need.

[[Page 861]]

  As we prepare to march tomorrow on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a 
decision that the late Justice Byron White described as an exercise in 
raw judicial power, I urge my colleagues to join me in committing to 
defend the sanctity of life. I also ask my colleagues to join me in 
supporting the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank Mr. Rothfus for his statement today. 
He has been a true rising star and a leader in defending the sanctity 
of life.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe), a physician 
who has delivered over 5,000 babies.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding. Before I start, I want to say a few things about my good 
friend Chris Smith. Of the 435 of us who serve here in the House of 
Representatives, no one in this body has been a stronger voice for life 
than Chris. Chris, thank you. Hopefully one day we will see this 
egregious law overturned. Your perseverance over now four decades is 
exemplary. Thank you so much.
  Mr. Speaker, as an OB-GYN, I have personally delivered over 5,000 
babies, and I strongly support the sanctity of life. Using technology 
like the 3-D ultrasound has given us a window into the womb that shows 
the unborn child as a living, breathing, feeling human being. I have 
looked through that window with my own eyes literally thousands of 
times, and I have seen human development occur from the earliest stages 
of conception. When you see a heartbeat at 26 days post-conception, 
already dreams are being developed by that mother and father about what 
this baby will be in their lifetime. I have been fortunate enough to 
experience that three times, and it is a wonderful feeling to know that 
this little person is going to be your child and grow up to be who 
knows what. All of the way through birth we see this, which strengthens 
my conviction in the right to life.
  Life is a precious miracle from God that begins at conception. It is 
our responsibility and privilege as legislators to protect those who do 
not have a voice. I will always fight for life because it is my 
conviction that we are all unique creations of a God who knows us and 
loves us before we are born.
  Tonight we mark one of the most tragic, misguided Supreme Court cases 
in our Nation's history: Roe v. Wade. Since 1973, more than 50 million 
babies, as has been stated here numerous times, have been denied the 
most basic right in this country, protected by our Constitution, which 
is the right to life. We must make our laws consistent with our science 
now and restore full legal protections to all those who are waiting to 
be born. If government has any legitimate function at all, it is to 
protect those, the most innocent among us.
  For over 30 years Congress has prevented taxpayer-funded abortions. 
Unfortunately, this door has been reopened with the passage of 
ObamaCare, the largest expansion since the pivotal Roe v. Wade decision 
was made 42 years ago. Members who stand here before you today pledge 
themselves to protect those without a voice, and I look forward to 
working with my colleagues to ensure this promise is kept. It is only 
by making good on this oath that we can expect to restore the trust 
that the American people have in their own government, and in doing so, 
ensure that the door to taxpayer-funded abortions remains closed.
  Let me just tell a brief story I was telling Congressman Smith before 
we came onto the House floor. Over 25 years ago, my partner delivered a 
baby, and I will just say ``Smith'' for privacy purposes. Baby Smith 
weighed about 1 pound 6 ounces over 25 years ago. Well, the chances of 
that baby surviving were minimal. Baby Smith got down to less than one 
pound. I went by the intensive care nursery and saw this tiny baby that 
I thought would never make it. Well, Baby Smith did make it, and I was 
on a trip to Walmart with my kids one day, and there was this youngster 
there with a pair of glasses on, just like his doctor had. He was 2 
years old, and he was doing like any other 2 year old--he was knocking 
everything off the shelf at Walmart. Wouldn't it have been a shame--and 
we are aborting babies much larger than Baby Smith--and Baby Smith is 
alive and well today, thriving in our country and being a productive 
citizen in this country.
  As a father and a grandfather, I am privileged to be here on the 
House floor tonight with other legislators fighting for the rights of 
the unborn.
  Chris, thank you, and I thank my colleagues. God bless each and every 
one of you.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you very much for your kind statement, 
and also for your leadership both as a physician, a obstetrician, and 
also as a lawmaker. It has made a huge difference. I want to say that 
publicly. You provide insight and guidance that all of us benefit from.
  I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Huelskamp).
  Mr. HUELSKAMP. Thank you, Congressman. I know we probably sound like 
a broken record--and for the marchers coming in tomorrow, that is 
something that they used before there were CDs. Isn't that great--we 
have all of these marchers coming in who don't even know what a record 
is because they are so young. In the battle for life, we are winning 
with this generation. They understand the reality of when life begins. 
I am so thankful for that, and I am so thankful for Chris Smith's 
leadership.
  Like one of my earlier colleagues, I remember being on the other side 
of the rally watching the Congressman and saying: Gosh darnit, I wish I 
could be like him. What can I do?
  That is what I would like to talk about tonight: What can we do to 
make a difference? Of course, as we will see tomorrow, a tremendous 
level of political involvement with tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands 
of folks showing up here from all over the country. Generally you have 
people from Kansas to lead the march, and it is great to see some kids 
from Benedictine College and throughout my district as well getting 
involved, making a difference, both here in Washington and in their 
State capital, coming here for the March for Life, which we hashtagged 
``Why We March.''
  What else can we do? Very quickly, we can help and assist women and 
families in crisis pregnancies. There are hundreds and hundreds of 
facilities across the country that offer free help and free care, 
outreach for those in very difficult situations. We can do that.
  The second thing we can do is encourage families, current families, 
encourage marriage. Marriage is a founding block of our society, of our 
civilization. The more we can encourage marriage, the more we can 
encourage families and the more we can help our unborn.
  We can also consider adoption. For those who are listening today who 
are wondering, maybe that should be for me--sometimes it might be one 
spouse. Sometimes it might be another. I was with a couple of friends 
this weekend just talking about that, saying, think about it, pray 
about it, consider it, because there are literally tens of thousands, 
hundreds of thousands of young folks who are looking for homes. So 
please consider that.
  And lastly, I ask, please pray for the unborn, please pray for birth 
families, and please pray for those who are considering adoption.
  Lastly, I want to briefly thank the four birth families who blessed 
our family with children. Some of them I know, some of them I do not. 
Two of them are in foreign countries and two of those families are here 
in this country. But that is a tough decision. I am so thankful for the 
men and women of this country that chose life and offered up their 
children for adoption.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you very much for sharing that very 
personal story, which is very touching.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga).
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. I appreciate my friend from New Jersey 
yielding me this time, and I rise today to join my colleagues and 
thousands of Americans who will be marching on Washington, D.C., 
tomorrow because every life truly is a gift, which is this year's Right 
to Life march theme. It has been talked about, the millions of

[[Page 862]]

young lives that have been tragically cut short.
  But I, like my colleague and our friend from Kansas, who was just 
talking about his personal experience with adoption, I come from a 
place in western Michigan that has really embraced the notion of 
adoption. We have a number of friends and neighbors who have done both 
domestic and international adoption. In fact, one family is now on 
their third adoption from Africa, and this time they are coming home 
with a brother and sister for four kids, adding to their own natural 
five that they have. And I must add that, a little jokingly, we are not 
Catholic typically in western Michigan, we are just passionate 
Protestants. We are wanting to share that gift of life and opportunity 
for those children who have that potential that their parents see and 
go through a difficult decision to put them up, and whether it is 
domestically or internationally, we are so pleased that they have done 
that.
  It is also why, because life being so precious, why my wife, Natalie, 
and I have been active through our church and Michigan Right to Life, 
and my wife particularly through the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center, a 
crisis pregnancy center that she has been on the board of for a number 
of years that is helping young men and women make those difficult 
choices in those difficult life circumstances.
  I understand, and I know my colleagues know this as well. This is 
very difficult. It is very emotional. These are issues that have 
affected so many of us. As we deal with difficult circumstances where 
these pregnancies have arisen, whether it is through rape or through 
mistakes that have been made to have these unplanned pregnancies, I 
think we need to show that love and that mercy that we have been shown 
at various times in our life.
  I do want to encourage my colleagues in the House, though, to take a 
close look at a loophole, an issue that I became aware of a couple of 
years ago. Over the previous two Congresses, I introduced something 
called the Homeland Security Respect For Life Act and worked with my 
friend and Appropriations member, Representative Aderholt, to attach 
language to the annual Department of Homeland Security Appropriations 
bill.
  This commonsense bill simply prevents hardworking taxpayer dollars 
from paying for abortions through the DHS programs that currently would 
fund abortions for detainees who lack lawful status here in the United 
States. In fact, this bill codifies pro-life language that is already 
found in the ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, manual on 
detention standards. But since this manual lacks a basis in law and the 
weight of law, it can be changed at any time by unelected bureaucrats.
  Well, I think it is time for us to put the DHS in line with other 
departments of the government and codify this and make sure that this 
is crystal clear. Our current policy prohibits Federal taxpayer funding 
for abortions for law-abiding citizens on Medicaid, as well as citizens 
who are in Federal prison, why not the DHS and why not in these 
detention areas? It only makes sense to apply those same life-affirming 
standards to immigration detainees as well.

                              {time}  1630

  This is an easy fix, Mr. Chairman, and I am hopeful that this year 
the Senate and the President will agree to our bill language and follow 
the precedent as consistent with current administration policy in the 
other Federal agencies. I, too, want to say thank you for your 
leadership in this area and appreciate the opportunity to spend some 
time on the floor.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you very much, Mr. Huizenga. I want to 
thank you, Bill, for your leadership on pro-life issues in general, but 
especially for your legislation that deals with the detainees issue 
because that could quickly emerge as a trouble spot if we are paying 
for abortions of people who make it across the border. That would be 
unconscionable to think that we would be enabling the killing of those 
precious children, so thank you.
  I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).
  Mr. LATTA. Thank you very much. I appreciate the gentleman for 
yielding, and also, I want to extend my thanks for all your many, many 
years of work and leadership to protect the life and lives of the 
unborn. We really appreciate everything you have done, and I know, 
across the country, it is appreciated.
  Mr. Speaker, I do rise today to voice my support for the right to 
life of unborn children. During my time in the Ohio General Assembly 
and, now, as a Member of Congress, I have always been a strong 
supporter of pro-life legislation. I firmly believe we must be vigilant 
in protecting the sanctity of human life.
  As previously mentioned by other Members, it is heartbreaking to know 
that, since 1973, there have been more than 55 million abortions in the 
United States. Fortunately, a report released in February 2014 found 
abortion rates and ratios are continuing to decline in the United 
States and the rate of abortion has dropped to its lowest since its 
legalization; however, there is still more work to be done. That is why 
I continually support legislation to protect the unborn.
  Tomorrow, tens of thousands of our fellow citizens will be in 
Washington to participate in the March for Life, and I salute them for 
their steadfastness in our cause for life. They will be here to let 
their voices be heard.
  I can speak that, in our church, I know that we sponsor a couple of 
buses that will be coming down from Bowling Green State University, my 
alma mater. There will be high schoolers from across my district that 
will be here, and we salute them, again, for making sure that they are 
here to have their voices heard.
  I also want to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to those who 
have tirelessly worked for years to defend the right to life; and, 
again, I thank the gentleman for his efforts.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you very much, Mr. Latta.
  I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).
  Mr. MICA. Thank you, Mr. Smith, for yielding, and thank you also for 
calling this Special Order, particularly as Congress, tomorrow, will 
take up an important issue relating to the unborn.
  Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, of all the responsibilities given to 
Congress under our Constitution, none is more important than to protect 
and preserve life.
  Throughout the history of governments, through the entire course of 
the world as we know it, governments have had the power to decide who 
dies and who lives. Our Founding Fathers established the United States 
to ensure the protection of first life, liberty, and the pursuit of 
happiness for all of our citizens.
  As the people's Congress, we pass laws that define life. We pass laws 
that define life for all Americans, including the unborn. No matter 
that comes before this Congress or our society is more important than 
the matter of protecting the lives of our citizens; and, my colleagues, 
no citizen is more vulnerable or helpless than the unborn.
  Our Nation, in respect for life and the unborn, must not waver. 
Protecting human life at every opportunity must be our only option and 
certainly our moral responsibility.
  As thousands of pro-life Americans express their support for the 
unborn at our Nation's Capital this week, I welcome them, and I also 
hope and pray that their voice is heard.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you, Chairman Mica.
  I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Joe Pitts, and just 
before I do, I note that Mr. Pitts not only chairs the Subcommittee on 
Health for the Energy and Commerce Committee, but prior to coming to 
Washington, he was one of the prime authors of a sweeping pro-life law 
in Pennsylvania that has saved countless lives.
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank Chris Smith for his 
leadership over the years. He is one of the people, along with Henry 
Hyde, that I admired from afar, and when I was elected 18 years ago, I 
told him I want to come and hold up his arms in this fight for life. He 
has been a real champion and

[[Page 863]]

just a terrific leader here in the Congress. I want to thank him for 
that.
  I heard in a congressional life forum a few years ago a lady by the 
name of Frederica Mathewes-Green--she was president of the Feminists 
for Life--and she said something I will never forget. She said:

       Abortion is the most violent form of death known to 
     mankind. It is death by dismemberment, decapitation, and 
     poisoning.

  She said:

       Abortion breaks a mother's heart.

  She said:

       There are always two victims in an abortion. One is the 
     baby, and one is the mother; one is dead, one is wounded.

  I never forgot those statements of this great feminist leader. I 
think her focus is right. We need to keep that focus where it is, where 
she had it: on the mother, on the baby.
  We are talking here about babies who are in their 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th 
month of pregnancy. For the first 5 months, a woman could have an 
abortion, but after that, it bans abortion, and I want to say this: I 
was first elected in 1972, inaugurated 3 weeks before Roe v. Wade and 
Doe v. Bolton, so I have been involved in these battles for the whole 
time.
  This is the first time in my memory that our leadership has moved 
substantive legislation on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade on the day of 
the march. They should be applauded for that. This is significant.
  In 2 years, if things go the way we hope, with a new Republican 
President and a House and a Senate, 2 years from tomorrow, we could 
very well see this legislation signed into law. That is how important 
this is. It moves the bar back on Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, those 
two infamous decisions that have resulted in 55 million unborn children 
and women being affected by abortion.
  As Chris said, I was involved in authoring the Pennsylvania Abortion 
Control Act, but I also was involved in the Medicaid funding cutoff 
bill that passed in Pennsylvania--I think that was about 1978--and we 
had a reporting requirement in that bill, so that the abortions that 
were due to rape and incest had to be reported to the appropriate law 
enforcement or social service agencies.
  The year before our bill was passed into law, there were some 740 
abortions, Medicaid-funded abortions, due to so-called rape. The year 
after our bill was signed into law, there were 38. This shows the 
importance of that provision into law of reporting to the appropriate 
authorities.
  If you remove that provision from the law--and some people want to do 
that--that would create a loophole for late-term abortions. As I said, 
for the first 5 months, a woman could have an abortion, but in the 
later term, they could not without the appropriate reporting to 
appropriate authorities. It would, I think, be a mistake, as some would 
like to do, to remove those requirements.
  I just might conclude by saying that we are one of only seven 
countries that allow abortion at any point of pregnancy. Some countries 
are appalled that the United States would permit these late-term 
abortions. We had a famous case in Pennsylvania, the Kermit Gosnell 
clinic, which was outrageous when people find out what happened in 
those late-term abortions.
  Scientific studies tell us that children feel pain in the womb. These 
are the children at this age who smile in the womb, who suck their 
thumb, who hiccup, who have dream patterns on the brainwaves, who react 
to light if it is intrauterine or a pinprick.
  These are very tiny but knowing, learning individuals. They have no 
one to speak for them. They are voiceless, so we have an obligation to 
speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, who can't run away, 
who face this horrific type of death, and the mothers who carry them.
  I would urge Members, just like as shown in the public polls, the 
majority of Americans support the legislation. I would like to thank 
the leadership for moving the legislation and like to say that we are 
admonished in the scriptures that if we see someone drawn to death and 
we do not speak up, we do nothing, that we will be held responsible 
because, really, nothing is doing something, silence is consent.
  With the other pro-life people, Members, and our great champion, I 
urge the Members to support this legislation.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you very much, Mr. Pitts. Again, I 
want to thank you for your leadership both at the State and, now, 
Federal level, especially as chairman of the committee that deals with 
health. Thank you so much.
  I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn), who has also 
been an outspoken champion of the right to life.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the 42nd anniversary of the 
infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which legalized elective 
abortion in the U.S.
  Elective abortion is an abhorrent practice that tragically remains a 
common medical procedure performed in the U.S. Every year, over 1 
million abortions are performed here.
  Since 1973, when Roe v. Wade was decided, 57 million babies have been 
lost to abortion--57 million, Mr. Speaker. To put this in perspective, 
according to the last census numbers, 57 million is about 18 percent of 
the U.S. population. This staggering loss of children's lives is 
unconscionable.
  My wife, Jeanie, and I have been blessed with five children and two 
grandchildren, with one more on the way. I firmly believe that every 
life is a precious gift from God, and I am wholly committed to 
protecting the sanctity of life.
  One critically important step towards protecting life is the Pain-
Capable Unborn Child Protection Act that we will be voting on tomorrow. 
I am a proud cosponsor of this bill that will prohibit anyone from 
performing an abortion on an unborn child that is 20 weeks or older.
  Medical research has shown that at least by the 20th week of a 
pregnancy, unborn babies can feel pain. Polls have consistently shown 
that a majority of Americans support banning abortions after 20 weeks. 
Abortions after the 20th week are painful, violent, and harmful, even 
to the mothers. It is time to end this horrible procedure.
  This week, we will continue to mourn the lives cut short in the 
inhuman wake of Roe v. Wade. We pray for God's continued comfort, 
grace, and mercy to those touched by abortion.
  Every life has value, and we have a duty to protect the lives of 
those who are the most innocent among us. I will continue to be among 
those fighting to do just that.

                              {time}  1645

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you, Doug.
  I would like to now close, and I want to thank my distinguished 
colleagues for their eloquent statements in defense of life.
  Mr. Speaker, 42 years ago tomorrow marks the U.S. Supreme Court's 
infamous, reckless, and inhumane abandonment of women and babies to the 
abortionists--42 years of victims, dead babies, wounded women, 
shattered families; 42 years of government-sanctioned violence against 
women and children. Since 1973, more than 56 million--maybe 57 
million--children have been killed by abortion--a staggering loss of 
children's lives, a death toll that equates to the entire population of 
England.
  The passage of time has not changed the fact that abortion is a 
serious, lethal violation of fundamental human rights. Rather than gull 
our consciences to the unmitigated violence of abortion, however, the 
passage of time has only enabled us to see better and to understand 
better the innate cruelty of abortion and its horrific legacy--
victims--while making us more determined than ever to protect the 
weakest and most vulnerable.
  In his inaugural speech, President Obama said in pertinent part:

       Together, we resolve that a great nation must care for the 
     vulnerable, that all are created equal, and our journey is 
     not complete until all our children are cared for and 
     cherished and always safe from harm.

  Yes, Mr. President. We must care for the vulnerable, but that also 
includes unborn children and their mothers. No

[[Page 864]]

one gets left out or left behind. All people are created equal, and our 
journey is not complete until all of our children, including the child 
in the womb, are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm.
  Last night, right here in this Chamber, the President said to tell 
every child in every neighborhood, ``Your life matters.'' Again, Mr. 
Speaker, the President is leaving out a whole class of human beings, 
who because of the fact they are in utero--the fact that they are yet 
to be born--they are construed to be excluded from humanity and, 
therefore, from their basic human rights. It is unconscionable, Mr. 
Speaker. It is unconscionable.
  Let me also say, in talking about victims, a couple of years ago, I 
met a woman named Linda Shrewsbury--an academic, an African American, 
with a degree from Harvard, who had an abortion. She said:

       The lies that brought me to that day and to its sorrowful 
     aftermath are crystal clear in my mind--falsehoods and 
     deceptions that concealed the truth about abortion. Lies 
     planted in my thinking by clever marketing and media 
     campaigns and endless repetition led to a tragic, 
     irreversible decision--the death of my first child.

  Ms. Shrewsbury went on to say:

       I really didn't understand back then. At age 20, I had no 
     inkling of the mental and emotional darkness I was about to 
     enter. I couldn't have grasped the immense psychological toll 
     it would take for years into the future--unrelenting tears, 
     guilt, shame, and depression. After spending many years in 
     denial, I did eventually find healing.

  Linda goes on to say:

       When I understood and rejected distortions about fetal 
     development, doublespeak about choice, rights, and planned 
     and wanted children, I understood the reality and victimhood 
     of my aborted child.

  She went on and concluded:

       I understood the absence of moral basis for choosing to 
     disentitle an innocent human being of life. When I embraced 
     the truth, the truth set me free, and I, finally, gained 
     inner peace.

  Some of my colleagues have mentioned the historic vote that we will 
take tomorrow on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This 
legislation, Mr. Speaker, as you know, is a modest but necessary 
attempt to at least protect babies who are 20 weeks old and who are 
pain capable from having to suffer and die from abortion.
  I don't know about you, Mr. Speaker, but I, like, I think, most 
people, avoid pain at almost all costs. When I have surgeries--when 
anyone has surgeries--I am put locally or generally under anesthesia so 
that I do not have to feel the pain. The unborn child, when he or she 
is getting an intervention to help cure a disability or to deal with 
disease or illness, gets anesthesia because we now know beyond any 
reasonable doubt that unborn children who are at least at 20-weeks' 
gestation feel that pain.
  When the abortionist commits a D&E abortion or one of the other 
abortions--D&E is literally a way of dismembering the child--they feel 
this pain--``they'' being the children--and it is excruciating. 
Children, including children with disabilities, deserve better 
treatment than pain-filled dismemberment.
  I would point out to my colleagues the expert testimony of Dr. 
Anthony Levatino's before the House Judiciary Committee. He is a former 
abortionist who has performed hundreds of dismemberment abortions. He 
described D&E. He said:

       The baby can be in any position inside the uterus. Just 
     reach in with a Sopher clamp, and grasp whatever you can.

  The former abortionist went on to say:

       Pull really hard, and out pops an arm. Reach in again and 
     again, and tear out the spine, intestines, heart, and lungs.

  Pull out a severed arm. Tear out the spine, intestines, heart, and 
lungs. This is child abuse, Mr. Speaker. Not only is this assault on a 
child inhumane, it is extremely painful as the child experiences that 
dismemberment. Again, I say that children, including children with 
disabilities, deserve better treatment than pain-filled dismemberment.
  Again, tomorrow is the March for Life, and there will be tens of 
thousands of people there who are speaking out for the unborn and 
equally for their mothers. There will be numbers of women there from 
the Silent No More Awareness Campaign--all women who have had abortions 
and who now speak out eloquently and with great compassion to say to 
women who are post-abortive that there is hope, that there is 
reconciliation. Face the truth, and that is the beginning to that 
reconciliation.
  We will be there tomorrow, praying, working, of course--even 
fasting--for that day when every life is cherished as a gift, every 
life loved despite one's disability, race, sex, color, religion, or 
condition of dependency, when every life is welcomed no matter the 
inconvenience.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________