Protect Babies Born Alive
Floor Speech
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Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Indiana, Jackie Walorski. We are classmates and came in to Congress almost 7 years ago. I am so grateful to her for pulling this Special Order together tonight to talk about the most vulnerable in our society and talk about the right to life.
To the gentlewoman from Washington State, I have to say her story moves us all, and we are so excited about her growing family.
I cannot thank Mrs. Roby enough for her support, her passion, and her dignity when it comes to supporting life--all of my colleagues who are here with us tonight and stand with us on this legislation.
Above all, I want to say, Mr. Speaker, that I believe our President, last week at the National Prayer Breakfast, said it best:
All children, born and unborn, are made in the holy image of God. Every life is sacred, and every soul is a precious gift from Heaven.
None of us could say it any better than that.
I never thought the time would come when I would have to actually argue, fight, debate, and stand for providing healthcare to infants after they are born. Yet here we are. There are, apparently, many legislators who believe it is okay to allow a child to die after it has been born.
When I first heard the news of State officials in New York and Virginia believing that it is acceptable to limit healthcare for newborn babies, I was horrified. But I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, it is not just in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of New York. In fact, only 26 States have affirmative protections for children born alive after attempted abortions--only 26 States.
In fact, in recent days, Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Mexico are considering legislation to loosen the late-term abortion restrictions that have gone forward in Virginia and New York.
In fact, New Mexico's House passed H.B. 51, which would effectively permit abortions up until birth and eliminate all restrictions thereafter.
To me, it is unthinkable that if a baby is born alive, anyone's first instinct could be anything but to try to save that precious, innocent life by any means possible.
Our babies are some of the most innocent, most vulnerable members of our society, and it is our responsibility, our duty, our calling to make sure that they are cared for.
Every year, babies survive late-term abortions and are left to die on tables, in bedpans, in operating rooms. This should not happen in the United States of America. It is a flagrant violation of our Constitution and an offense against women and children.
I implore my colleagues to support our bill, H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
Mr. Speaker, for the next 25 days, until we can put forward a discharge petition, we will bring the born-alive act and ask for unanimous consent that it be passed by the full House. This should not be in question. This is a piece of legislation that was passed in the 115th Congress. We will do that the next 25 days until we can put together a discharge petition and force it to a vote on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.
Last week, I was told, when I offered the unanimous consent decree, that it was the ``wrong time'' to fight for the most basic of human rights. Well, Mr. Speaker, I say it is always the time to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. I ask my colleagues to join me, join us, in this fight for innocent, newborn babies.
I thank the gentlewoman for her courage and her standing up for life.
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Mrs. WAGNER. Will the gentlewoman yield?
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Mrs. WAGNER. So we can have a bit of a colloquy here.
I can say that it does happen. Next week, in Missouri's Second Congressional District, I have invited a guest. She will be traveling from Kansas City to share her story. She was, in fact, a born-alive baby after an attempted abortion through saline.
She will give her testimony about what her life has meant; that it was saved; that, in fact, she was given that opportunity to live her life and to follow in the ways of the Lord and to be productive to society.
So this has happened, and we should do all we can.
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