Unanimous Consent Request--S. 177
Floor Speech
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Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, today, I join millions of Americans commemorating the Dobbs Supreme Court decision anniversary. We are united in two simple truths: Abortion is not a constitutional right, but life is. And life is a gift worth protecting. Each and every one of us was given this gift.
When we honor the dignity of every human being, we give them a chance to become loving sons and daughters, neighbors, and leaders.
This is not a political issue for me; it is deeply personal. Few things have brought me greater joy than when I first became a mother and, more recently, a grandmother. Holding my daughter and my grandson and watching them grow are memories I will always cherish. I want to protect and preserve this same experience for young mothers everywhere.
Last month, Stephanie, a constituent in Iowa, entrusted me with her story about the lasting effects of her abortion experience. With her permission, I am sharing her account, including the loss of her unborn child.
My daughter Lily died during an abortion procedure at 21 weeks. At the time, I was a young girl in crisis, frightened and unequipped to understand the full consequences of what I would experience afterwards. The effects did not end with the procedure itself. They affected me psychologically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
At 17, I had very little language or support to help me understand those effects. I believe many women face similar trauma without diagnoses, treatment, or meaningful follow-up care. In the years since, I have experienced PTSD symptoms, grief, and significant emotional and hormonal changes after losing my child.
My concern extends beyond my own experience. There appears to be too little long-term follow-up care, too little research into women's post- abortion outcomes, and too little screening for trauma before and after abortion procedures, especially later term abortions.
Women should be better informed about possible mental, physical, and emotional effects and should have access to appropriate care when those effects arise.
On this solemn note, there is no doubt we can do better by women and mothers-to-be, and that is what my Protect Funding for Women's Healthcare Act is all about. My Protect Funding for Women's Healthcare Act prohibits taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood. Instead, the bill redirects those funds to women's healthcare providers and ensures no reduction in Federal funding for women's health services.
As I continue to protect the life-changing experience of becoming a mother, I want mothers and families to know that they are supported in pregnancy and beyond no matter their situation.
177.
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Ms. ERNST. Despite fearmongering and election-year stunts from the left, over-the-counter daily oral contraceptive pills are available everywhere and have been for years.
Democrats have repeatedly made it clear that they want to control every aspect of your life--your healthcare, your job, your finances, and, yes, even your children.
To be clear, I support access to safe and effective contraception options for women. But that is not what Senator Markey's bill does. Instead, it attempts to provide drugs and sterilization procedures to minor children without parental consent. You do not need to be a parent or a grandparent to know this is profoundly wrong. It is dangerous, it is immoral, and it must be stopped.
Out of concern for every single child in this country, I cannot support this.
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