The 47th Annual March for Life

Floor Speech

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, as I understand it, some of my friends up here should have more interesting things to say, so I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is my good friend.

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Chris Smith for his dedication and leadership, and I thank Congressman Grothman from Wisconsin for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, on January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court struck down State and Federal right-to-life laws in their decision on Roe v. Wade. Since then over 61 million unborn children have been stripped of their right to life, and our country has denied itself future teachers, doctors, farmers, neighbors, friends, and loved ones.

I am grateful to stand with my colleagues in Congress to defend the right to life for the unborn. In the House we have worked to pass commonsense pro-life legislation such as H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. This bill would give a child the right to live if he or she is born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion. With over 191 cosponsors, this bill has been shamefully dropped by House Democrats for a vote 80 different times.

Last weekend I attended the Right to Life Dinner featuring Governor Henry McMaster and First Lady Peggy McMaster and appreciated participating with thousands of citizens across the State for a program emceed by Attorney General Alan Wilson at the Statehouse in Columbia.

South Carolina Citizens for Life work tirelessly to protect innocent human lives, and I appreciate the leadership of Lisa Van Riper, Holly Gatling, Alexia Newman, Karen Iacovelli Forster, Brenda Hucks, and Sally Zaleski for their hard work and dedication.

I look forward to welcoming next weekend the participants for the March for Life in Washington. Each year tens of thousands of students from across America will show their appreciation of life.

This year is special in that my oldest grandson and namesake, Addison Wilson III, will attend with a delegation from Holy Trinity Classical Christian School of Beaufort, South Carolina.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, in a Florida abortion clinic, Sycloria Williams delivered a live baby girl at 23 weeks. The clinic owner took the baby, who was gasping for air, cut her umbilical cord, threw her into a biohazard bag, and put the bag in the trash. Heartbroken, Sycloria later had a funeral for her baby girl, who she named Shanice.

In Sycloria's home State of Florida, in just 1 year, in 2017, 11 babies were born alive during abortions. Shockingly, only 6 States-- Florida, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Texas--currently require reporting of children born alive who survive abortion.

Why the coverup? Dr. Willard Cates, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Abortion Surveillance Unit, said live births ``are little known because organized medicine, from fear of public clamor and legal action, treats them more as an embarrassment to be hushed up than a problem to be solved. It is like turning yourself in to the IRS,'' he goes on, ``for an audit. What is there to gain? The tendency is not to report because there are only negative incentives.''

Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleagues that Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, one of the few who got caught, was convicted for murder, for killing children who were born alive after attempting abortions.

The grand jury described it this way: ``Gosnell had a simple solution for unwanted babies he delivered: He killed them. He didn't call it that. He called it `ensuring fetal demise.' The way he ensured fetal demise was by sticking scissors into the back of the baby's neck and cutting the spinal cord. He called that `snipping.' ''

Mr. Speaker, we have tried the whole year to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act introduced by Ann Wagner and 191 of us to a vote here in this House. I, again, with my colleagues, appeal to the leadership: These children need protection. The unborn children need protection.

Congressmen Andy Biggs and Doug LaMalfa said it so well a few moments ago, that we have such a clearer picture of the unborn as well. Andy said, even without today's technology, he and his wife knew there was a baby. Ultrasound shatters the myth that an unborn child is anything but human, alive, and extremely vulnerable.

Mr. Speaker, let's protect the children.

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I will address a few topics tonight, but before I start on these other topics, I, as well, will address the March for Life.

As has been mentioned, we are dealing with the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Hopefully, over 200,000 people will be here in Washington next week, and I feel bad it is a week where we are doing our work back in the district so I won't be able to be here for it.

It is still kind of amazing that, in 1973, I think it was seven out of nine judges, which is kind of a bad testimony to the law schools of this Nation, felt that when our forefathers put together the Constitution, they felt that it, of necessity, made abortion legal in this country. I am sure they were not talking about it at all at the time, and throughout much of our history, abortion has been legal in the vast majority of States.

At the time that Roe v. Wade came down, I believe abortion was illegal in 48 of the 50 States. If not, it was almost 48 States, and it was just an outlandish decision.

Since the decision has come down, we have had over 45 million lives cut short because of abortion in this country. When you think about 45 million, think how large that is. If they were alive today, it would be something on the order of about one-seventh of the current population of this country. But our people have voluntarily snuffed out that many lives.

I remember when ultrasounds came out and became common. I had assumed that when people began to look at ultrasounds, they would see what they were dealing with here and abortion would have quickly become illegal.

It says something about the callousness of our country and the ineffectiveness of our clergy that, despite the gift of ultrasound--so, unlike 60 years ago, we all know exactly what is going on--our country continues to allow this slaughter to continue.

Even worse, America, which I do believe should be a shining light on the hill, is one of only seven countries which allow late-term abortions: ourselves, Singapore, Canada, Holland, Red China, Vietnam, and North Korea--largely, a pretty embarrassing set of countries to be with.

I hope all Americans stop and ponder how America still winds up on such a ridiculous list, particularly such a wealthy country and a country in which so many people have access to see exactly what is going on.

As a matter of fact, recently, things have even gotten worse. I am sure my colleagues have talked about the bill recently signed into law in New York, which, in essence, a goal appears to be to allow you to snuff out the life of a newborn baby right before it is born. There is danger that a similar law is soon going to pass in Virginia.

I challenge the clergy in this country. And I know some of them don't like to say uncomfortable truths, apparently, but I challenge them to do something here.

Somebody just mentioned the movie ``Gosnell,'' and there is another movie, ``Unplanned.'' I think these are movies that would be wise for the clergy in this country to make sure people were aware of so they saw exactly what was going on.

Obviously, what we have here is kind of a silent ending of millions of lives. Most people do not know it is going on. It doesn't affect them on a daily basis. But it is time for the clergy and churches of this country to step up to the plate.

I wish well for all the people who are going to come from all over the country and attend the March for Life. Knights of Columbus

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, there are other things I am going to address right now, one a little bit related. I would like to talk a little bit about the Knights of Columbus.

We live in a society that claims to value diversity and tolerance; however, sometimes things bubble up in this town. It is apparent that some people are hated and the intolerance applies to them.

I am speaking, of course, of the fact that, about 2 years ago, a little over 2 years ago now, a U.S. Senator from California, in part of a confirmation hearing on a Federal judge, decided to weigh in and felt that, if you were a member of the Knights of Columbus, perhaps you shouldn't become a Federal judge.

Recently, rereading the statements made there and the lack of outrage at what, apparently, was a religious test, or close to a religious test, to become a Federal judge, I thought I would like to talk a little bit about the Knights of Columbus, which is very active in my district.

The Knights were founded as a Catholic group in 1882, in Connecticut, and, currently, there are about 2 million Knights, almost exclusive to the United States, but there are also some in Canada, New Zealand, England--or Britain--and a few other countries.

They have been active during that time, and they do a lot to help people. They seem almost ubiquitous in my district with all the fundraisers they have.

A few weeks ago, I attended a meat raffle for the Princeton Knights of Columbus in which they were helping out a Vietnam veteran who had cancer.

I want to point out that the Knights will help out not just Catholic people, but people who aren't Catholic as well.

The Princeton Knights were also doing a chili fundraiser to help a gentleman with prostate cancer.

Other groups I see around, can be seen: the Cedarburg Knights selling Tootsie Rolls for Special Olympics or pregnancy health centers; the Fond du Lac Knights having fish fries for youth hockey and handicapped children.

You see the Neenah Knights running concession stands at the Packers games, the Mayville Knights doing a calendar fundraiser for the local food pantry, the Oshkosh Knights doing a bowling fundraiser for coats for kids, or Men for Christ. I mean, you see the good works that the Knights are doing everywhere.

I wish I had time to go through all the other organizations and list exactly the fundraisers they have. The Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Fredonia, Horicon, wherever I go, I see the Knights are active helping people out.

I always kind of consider the Knights of Columbus kind of like mom and apple pie. You know, you could stand here in Congress, and Congressmen would go out of their way to praise groups like the Knights of Columbus and be seen with the Knights of Columbus.

But, apparently, they are not so much like mom and apple pie anymore. We have had Members of this body, and not from small, insignificant States, Members of this body apparently now feeling that that is something to be attacked for. And, of course, it is not.

They are helping out at the Special Olympics or helping out at youth hockey that has caused them to be hated or feel that they shouldn't be part of the public square. It is, of course, that they are active in the Catholic church, a church that is pro-life, that apparently some Members around here feel that the Knights of Columbus, therefore, should step aside and can't be trusted to make decisions as far as where we are going in the United States of America.

Recently, Joe Biden came out, actually, and even said that the Senator from California would make a great Vice President. I mean, can you imagine that?

Can you imagine, 40 years ago, in this country, somebody saying that the Knights of Columbus, that a member of the Knights maybe shouldn't be a Federal judge?

That is a great thing she says. Let's make her a Vice President. I think that is a great thing.

In any event, speaking on behalf of myself, I would like to thank the Knights for all they do around the Sixth Congressional District. I hope they continue to speak out on Christian issues, on Catholic issues.

I hope the other clergy, clergy who may not be Catholic themselves, realize that they could be next to be targeted by these Members of Congress. But, again, I thank the Knights of Columbus for all they do.

Mr. Speaker, I guess I have a few minutes more here. I have, what, 5 more minutes?

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, we spent a lot of time up here, too much time on this impeachment thing. I think the reason people want to talk about impeachment is they don't like to talk about all the things that ought to be getting done that Congress isn't doing when they are talking about impeachment.

I want to, one more time, talk about what I think is the number one issue that is going to destroy America, and that is the immigration situation. We continue to have people come across the border.

President Trump, on his own, has dropped the number of people coming in this country from over 50,000 allowed in this country and placed in this country last May to under 1,000 by the Border Patrol in December.

Nevertheless, laws should be changed quickly to make sure that this does not continue, or should be changed quickly before some of these Federal judges decide to stop President Trump from trying to do what he is doing.

The Congress should be brought in to change the credible fear standard to make sure everybody under the Sun can't say that they should be a refugee.

We want to change the laws with regard to the Traffic Victim Protection Reparations Act. Right now, so people understand, if we get somebody under age 18 from Canada or Mexico--from Canada or Mexico--we can send them back; from other countries, we are forced to keep families apart.

I know President Trump would desperately like to return a minor from Honduras or Venezuela or Cuba back to their parents, but right now he is forbidden from doing that because Congress refuses to act.

We should be cracking down on welfare for illegal immigrants right now, which serves as an inducement for the most irresponsible of people to come to the United States, but Congress doesn't act.

We have built, or we are soon going to build, 100 miles toward the wall, but we still need more money. We hope we have enough money to get to 450 miles by the end of the year. But that is not going to be enough, particularly when you consider that, right now, the DEA thinks that 95 percent of the fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, or meth in this country is coming across our borders.

I will guarantee you there are people who are going back to their districts next week and, at their townhalls, are claiming that they care about the over 60,000 people who died last year from these drugs, but they aren't doing anything to enforce that border where 95 percent of these drugs--fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and meth--are coming are cross.

It is time we act there, as well. We need more money for what we call nonintrusive technology so we can determine when these drugs are coming across in cars or otherwise, as well as it would be a good thing to get more dogs.

I have been down at the border myself and seen how effective they are at preventing these drugs from coming across that are killing so many people.

In any event, I hope the rest of the public and our mainstream media, as well as our conservative media, don't fall apart and don't fall into the trap of being all impeachment all the time over the next 3 or 4 months.

Remember all the people who are dying because of the drugs coming across the border. Remember the huge burden on the United States as more people come across the border for things such as welfare-type benefits, and imagine what type of future America has if we don't begin to enforce our laws.

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