[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 31-32]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                      DEFUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of life and in firm 
opposition to Planned Parenthood's unconscionable activities.
  But as I begin my remarks, I want to be very clear about one thing. 
The vote that the House will take today is a victory for women's health 
while also serving as a cry to end the monstrous actions of an 
organization that continually attacks our most vulnerable unborn 
children.
  There are more than 13,500 publicly supported alternatives for 
women's health care in the country and 588 in Missouri--alternatives 
that treat women without performing abortions, alternatives that will 
have more access to Federal money for women's health care. This means 
that in Missouri alone, there are 45 health clinics for every Planned 
Parenthood clinic in the State. So, please, please don't be distracted 
by political rhetoric.
  We are strengthening our support for women's health, and we are 
stripping Federal taxpayer dollars from an organization that performs 
more than 327,000 abortions a year.
  While I have long fought to stop this atrocious practice, I was 
especially shocked this summer by videos of Planned Parenthood's cold 
indifference and barbaric murder of the society's most vulnerable 
members.
  It is our duty as lawmakers, as citizens of a great nation, as 
friends, as neighbors, as family members to protect those who cannot 
protect themselves. It is a tragic shame to watch

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employees of Planned Parenthood so willing to sell the body parts of 
unborn babies.
  These are truly some of the most horrifying and heartbreaking videos 
I have ever seen, even throughout all my work in combating sex 
trafficking, sexual assault, and abuse.
  The United States is a nation that seeks to protect the least among 
us in numerous ways, from medical research assistance for the needy to 
elderly care. It is time that we do the same for our precious unborn 
children.
  Mr. Speaker, today is an historic day when we will finally stop 
taxpayer dollars from funding Planned Parenthood's abortions. Surely, 
no Member of Congress can, in good conscience, claim that we should 
fund these heinous activities with your hard-earned dollars.
  After seeing these horrible videos, I was compelled to take action. I 
joined Congressman Sean Duffy and Congressman Chris Smith in sending a 
letter to Chairmen Upton and Goodlatte, requesting an immediate 
investigation into Planned Parenthood's actions. I would like to thank 
House leadership and the committee chairmen for granting our request 
and for the work that they have done on their committees already.
  Planned Parenthood has shamelessly tried to defend the indefensible 
before these committees. They have shown no remorse for the actions 
described in these videos, apologizing only for the tone of them. In 
response, they have effectively dared Congress to act. And today we do.
  Today Congress says enough is enough. Today we pass legislation that 
will give the President a very stark choice: continue paying for acts 
that are so disturbing, so horrifying, and so disgusting that they 
require congressional investigation, or simply respect life and respect 
the taxpayers' hard-earned dollars.
  Mr. Speaker, the heart of my team's mission statement, which 
currently hangs in my office, reads: To confront injustice and serve as 
a voice for the most vulnerable in our society.
  Defunding Planned Parenthood is the right thing to do. Today I will 
give voice to the voiceless. I will proudly cast my vote for life, for 
these innocent angels. I will continue to fight for the day when 
abortion is not only illegal, but is unthinkable.

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