No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure

Floor Speech

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Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, I rise to talk about an issue that is very important to my constituents in my State of Indiana. It is also an issue that is very close to my heart--the sanctity of life.

Tomorrow we know thousands of pro-life advocates from around the country, including many Hoosiers, will convene in Washington for the March for Life. This is the world's largest annual pro-life demonstration.

You may not be able to tell this by watching today's television or movies, but there is bipartisan agreement among most Americans that we must protect human life. This is no old-fashioned point of view. In fact, a recent survey of millennials showed that 70 percent supported limits such as parental notification, blocking abortions at 5 months of pregnancy, and ending government funding for abortion.

In Indiana, concerned citizens from all corners of the State are fighting tirelessly to protect pro-life principles. These are the unsung heroes of the pro-life movement--those who have dedicated their lives to saving innocent children. These and other Hoosiers, of course, elected me to represent their interests in the Senate, but they also elected me to represent their values. I have been proud to work on legislation that reflects those values.

Already in this new Congress, I have joined dozens of my Senate colleagues on a letter to President Trump asking for a public commitment to only support pro-life legislative and administrative policies. To be clear, this President has indeed been supportive of pro-life policies, but House Democrats have already indicated they intend to move forward with pro-abortion legislation this Congress. We would like the President to let the House know that he is going to veto any kind of legislation that doesn't respect the sanctity of life.

I have also joined several of my colleagues this week to sponsor the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act of 2019, which we just voted on. This bill would have established a governmentwide statutory prohibition on taxpayer subsidies for abortion or abortion coverage. Federal taxpayer dollars should absolutely not be used to fund abortion.

I am incredibly disappointed that my colleagues didn't join me in voting to pass this important legislation today. I will continue looking for ways to advance this needed reform.

I am also a cosponsor of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which ensures that a baby who survives an abortion will receive the same treatment as any child naturally born premature at the very same age. We must do all we can to protect innocent life.

Before being elected to the Senate, I sat on the board of directors of the Hannah House in Bloomington, IN. This is a maternity home that offers women loving support during their pregnancy. I also spent 2 years as a smalltown attorney in Southern Indiana. During that time, I offered free legal services to parents who wanted to adopt. I am passionate about helping children find loving forever homes and helping caring adults become parents. I have come to appreciate firsthand, through my own life experiences, the importance of advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

We are divided on so many issues today, but protecting the lives of unborn children should not be one of those issues. I will continue working on legislation that advances pro-life values, and I am hopeful we can soon turn these actions into law.

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