The Proposed Protecting Life Rule

Floor Speech

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Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, who has been a longstanding and committed champion of life.

Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, the Trump administration proposed cutting title X funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood that perform abortions. Now, the proposed rule does not cut funds from the title X family planning program. Instead, the funds are directed to community health centers like The Primary Health Network in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Countrywide, there are 20 times more community health centers than Planned Parenthoods. In fact, there are absolutely no Planned Parenthood offices in my district, but there are 37 federally funded health centers. Planned Parenthood receives $56 million a year in taxpayer dollars through title X.

One of the things I wanted to just talk about for a minute, if I can, today we again grieve at the loss of innocent life, and I just would ask people to look at the loss of innocent life that we see every day in the United States. There are approximately 3,000 abortions performed daily in the United States.

So as we grieve so much for the loss of innocent life, I think sometimes we forget about all of the other life that is being lost and we kind of push that aside because we say: The Supreme Court made a ruling that allows that to take place. Regardless, it still is a loss of innocent life, and we see this every day, but somehow as a nation, we have a deaf ear and a blind eye to that loss of innocent life.

To me, it just would seem that at some point we look at this and realize it for what it is. I can't tell the other gentleman how much I appreciate the battle that he has continued, and it shouldn't be a battle. We are all trying to do the same thing, and it is to make sure that innocent life is protected.

So this piece, it doesn't take any money at all away from the title X family planning program. It does take a look at Planned Parenthood and says, you cannot use this taxpayer-funded money, this $56 million to $60 million a year to provide abortions. I would just ask the country as a whole, and the Nation, and we, as a people, to please take a look at what is going on.

This loss of innocent life is so tragic and so unnecessary, and I say that because I know a lot of the pregnancies are unintended, but there are loving families waiting for children who are there, who are willing, and who are wanting to provide a loving home for children.

So I would like to see if we can somehow come to an agreement or come to an understanding about what is being lost every day--3,000 innocent lives a day.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate what the gentleman is doing. I know how hard it has been. It is so hard for some people to weigh in on it, but I just think there is a conscience that we all need to have, and preserving life is one of those.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Kelly so much for his comments and his leadership for many, many years. I deeply appreciate it.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes), a good friend and colleague, who is a distinguished member of the Education and the Workforce Committee and also serves on Homeland Security.

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