No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure

Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. On the Senator from Iowa's time, let me join her and the Senator from Missouri, and I associate myself with their remarks and their support, not only for the March for Life, which will occur on Friday, but also for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which I am proud to be the principal cosponsor of and which will, we hope, have a vote on the Senate floor by tomorrow afternoon.

I was a pretty young staffer for then-Congressman Trent Lott in 1981 when I first became aware that there was such a thing as the March for Life. I can assure you that it will be much more massive this year then it was back in those early days when Americans were struggling with what Roe v. Wade meant and when they weren't quite so sure about what the science was about this practice of abortion.

As each year passes, as more and more parents see that sonogram, as more and more grandparents--and I am a grandparent to six now; I am buddy to six beautiful grandchildren--see the sonograms early on and we see the feet and we see the heartbeat and we see the faces of these children, we realize as Americans--and more and more Americans are coming to the realization--that this is a living human that deserves protection.

Senator Blunt was accurate in saying we have good polling. Polling is coming around to our way. Even if some people consider themselves to be pro-choice, when you delve down into the figures and ask them the questions, it turns out they are not quite so pro-abortion as we might think.

When we ask the question that the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion bill goes to centrally--Do you support taxpayer funding for abortion?-- the polls show that 24 percent oppose and 30 percent strongly oppose. A majority, or 54 percent of Americans--some of whom would actually check the box and say they are pro-choice--say no, we shouldn't go so far as to provide taxpayer funding for abortions. That is what this legislation, which tomorrow afternoon will be considered on the floor of the Senate, would do.

When asked another question: Should abortions be banned after 20 weeks, with the exception of risking the life of the mother? And 59 percent of Americans say yes, they strongly support that or support banning abortions after the 20th week.

So I would say that the March for Life is working, year after year, step after step, and I hope we get a good vote on the floor of the Senate tomorrow.

Do I think this is going to sail through the House of Representatives and be sent by Nancy Pelosi's House to the President for signature? Probably not, but we make the case. We warmly welcome these marchers for life each and every year, and we appreciate what they have done to move the needle of public opinion and to protect those innocent people who have no way of protecting themselves.

I see that we are joined by my distinguished colleague, the senior Senator from Nebraska, and perhaps she might have some remarks to say.

I will yield the floor at this point.

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