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Floor Speech

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Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, every year in schools around our country, students are taught about the Declaration of Independence. This remarkable document outlines the ideals on which the United States was founded and the principles on which our government and our very identity as Americans are based.

Perhaps the best known and most quoted line from the Declaration is that line about all being endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

From our earliest days--when such a concept truly was revolutionary-- to the present day, as Americans, we believe in the dignity and value of every human person. This is an ideal that we should always aspire to. And in the spirit of that conviction, I believe that our Nation has a moral responsibility to protect unborn children--to protect life.

Through amazing advances in science, families and medical professionals now know that at 15 weeks, a baby can feel pain; a baby can move fully formed fingers and toes; a baby has a fully developed heart, pumping 26 quarts of blood per day.

Despite what these advances in modern science tell us, the current abortion policy in the United States is more in line with communist China and North Korea. We are only one of seven countries around the world that allow abortion to take place past the point at which a baby can feel pain in the womb--one of seven countries in the world. Some Americans might be surprised to learn that even in progressive Europe, 47 out of 50 countries have limits on abortion after 15 weeks.

Yet the legislation before the U.S. Senate would block States from protecting the unborn and enshrine late-term abortion into our Federal law. Going beyond codifying Roe v. Wade, this sweeping legislation would strike down commonsense, broadly supported laws that many States have adopted since that decision, including laws meant to protect the health and safety of mothers. This bill does nothing to protect the health and safety of women, and it would certainly not protect the unborn. And it would make these sweeping changes contrary to the wishes of the majority of Americans.

In fact, recent polling found that 61 percent of Americans say abortion should be either illegal or that the policy decisions associated with abortion should be left up to the States.

So I would urge my colleagues to vote against this bill, given our increased knowledge and understanding of how babies develop, given our understanding of the science. This is simply the wrong direction to take public policy.

I also want to take a moment and acknowledge that the issue of abortion is a very tough one for so many Americans, and, given recent developments, this is a topic on the minds of many Hoosiers and many Americans. I understand that. I want to reiterate my commitment to helping mothers and families choose life and supporting them in that choice. We must ensure mothers and unborn children are cared for, loved, and supported, and this includes increasing the resources available to help women facing unexpected pregnancies. We must support America's 2,700 pregnancy centers that provide vital services to millions of people each year at virtually no cost as well as provide more support for adoptive services.

These steps are vital as we seek to further promote a culture that promotes values and protects life. Now, let's remember and live up to that founding American ideal. We believe in the dignity and value of every human person.

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