Protecting the Rights of the Unborn

Floor Speech

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Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. I appreciate my friend from New Jersey
yielding me this time, and I rise today to join my colleagues and
thousands of Americans who will be marching on Washington, D.C.,
tomorrow because every life truly is a gift, which is this year's Right
to Life march theme. It has been talked about, the millions of young
lives that have been tragically cut short.

But I, like my colleague and our friend from Kansas, who was just
talking about his personal experience with adoption, I come from a
place in western Michigan that has really embraced the notion of
adoption. We have a number of friends and neighbors who have done both
domestic and international adoption. In fact, one family is now on
their third adoption from Africa, and this time they are coming home
with a brother and sister for four kids, adding to their own natural
five that they have. And I must add that, a little jokingly, we are not
Catholic typically in western Michigan, we are just passionate
Protestants. We are wanting to share that gift of life and opportunity
for those children who have that potential that their parents see and
go through a difficult decision to put them up, and whether it is
domestically or internationally, we are so pleased that they have done
that.

It is also why, because life being so precious, why my wife, Natalie,
and I have been active through our church and Michigan Right to Life,
and my wife particularly through the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center, a
crisis pregnancy center that she has been on the board of for a number
of years that is helping young men and women make those difficult
choices in those difficult life circumstances.

I understand, and I know my colleagues know this as well. This is
very difficult. It is very emotional. These are issues that have
affected so many of us. As we deal with difficult circumstances where
these pregnancies have arisen, whether it is through rape or through
mistakes that have been made to have these unplanned pregnancies, I
think we need to show that love and that mercy that we have been shown
at various times in our life.

I do want to encourage my colleagues in the House, though, to take a
close look at a loophole, an issue that I became aware of a couple of
years ago. Over the previous two Congresses, I introduced something
called the Homeland Security Respect For Life Act and worked with my
friend and Appropriations member, Representative Aderholt, to attach
language to the annual Department of Homeland Security Appropriations
bill.

This commonsense bill simply prevents hardworking taxpayer dollars
from paying for abortions through the DHS programs that currently would
fund abortions for detainees who lack lawful status here in the United
States. In fact, this bill codifies pro-life language that is already
found in the ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, manual on
detention standards. But since this manual lacks a basis in law and the
weight of law, it can be changed at any time by unelected bureaucrats.

Well, I think it is time for us to put the DHS in line with other
departments of the government and codify this and make sure that this
is crystal clear. Our current policy prohibits Federal taxpayer funding
for abortions for law-abiding citizens on Medicaid, as well as citizens
who are in Federal prison, why not the DHS and why not in these
detention areas? It only makes sense to apply those same life-affirming
standards to immigration detainees as well.

This is an easy fix, Mr. Chairman, and I am hopeful that this year
the Senate and the President will agree to our bill language and follow
the precedent as consistent with current administration policy in the
other Federal agencies. I, too, want to say thank you for your
leadership in this area and appreciate the opportunity to spend some
time on the floor.

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