The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection

Floor Speech

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago today, this House passed H.R. 1797, the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, with bipartisan support. To this date, the Senate has not considered this measure to protect the lives of innocent children in the womb from the cruel, excruciating pain of an abortion procedure. This is unconscionable.

I fear for the conscience of our Nation because the termination of unborn children for any reason is tolerated in some parts of our country throughout pregnancy, even though scientific conclusions show infants feel pain by at least 20 weeks' gestation.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that the American people understand exactly what happens when they hear the word ``abortion.'' It is a heart-wrenching, painful procedure that tears a baby limb from limb before crushing his or her head or is a poisonous chemical injection. As a country, we should leave this practice behind. That is why I cosponsored and voted for H.R. 1797, which would prohibit elective abortions in the United States past 20 weeks.

Life is the most fundamental of all rights. It is sacred and God-given, but millions of babies have been robbed of that right in this, the freest country in the world. That is a tragedy beyond words and a betrayal of what we as a nation stand for.

Before liberty, equality, free speech, freedom of conscience, the pursuit of happiness, and justice for all, there has to be life. And yet, for millions of aborted infants, many pain-capable and many discriminated against because of gender or disability, life is exactly what they have been denied.

An affront to life to some is an affront to life for every one of us. One day we hope it will be different. We hope life will cease to be valued on a sliding scale. We hope the era of elective abortions, ushered in by an unelected Court, will be closed and collectively deemed one of the darkest chapters in American history. But until that day, it remains a solemn duty to stand up for life.

Regardless of the length of this journey, we will continue to speak for those who cannot. We will continue to pray to the One who can change the hearts of those in desperation and those in power, who equally hold the lives of the innocent in their hands.

May we, in love, defend the unborn. May we, in humility, confront this national sin. May we mourn what abortion reveals about the conscience of our Nation.

H.R. 1797 provides commonsense protections for unborn children who feel pain just as you and I do. It is time the Senate considers this measure and protects the vulnerable among us.

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