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AN UNBORN CHILD IS A HUMAN LIFE
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Brown of Ohio). Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
General Leave
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, our Nation is gripped by mounting crises, spurred by the failed policies of the Biden administration and congressional Democrats.
While Americans are hurting from the rising prices caused by inflation, a porous and open border, and a supply chain that is hurting every part of the American economy, it is critical that we remember and refocus on the fundamental values that have made our country great, starting with the right to life.
For me, this is an incredibly personal issue, like it is for millions of Americans with deeply held beliefs and personal experiences. I, myself, have shared my story on this very floor, that I shouldn't even be standing here, that my mother was urged to abort me. I was not wanted. I was unexpected and I was given very little chance to survive. And yet, here I am. Again, this speaks to the miracle of life.
We have the opportunity, brought on by the Dobbs v. Jackson case presented before the Supreme Court to chart a new course for our Nation so that every unborn child has the right to life and the opportunity that it holds while living in America.
Roe v. Wade has cost the lives of millions of American children, but what we have is the remarkable opportunity to make it right today. Today is the turning point.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to join dozens of my Republican colleagues to voice our support and stand for those most vulnerable, the unborn.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), my colleague, a pro-life champion.
Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding. And I also thank Congresswoman Cammack for her powerful, personal testimony. I am glad you are here today. Thank you so much for your leadership.
Madam Speaker, beneath you, right underneath this dais right here, are five very powerful words. And we are so busy in this Chamber debating numerous things we don't even look at them. But there they are, right there.
It says: Union, justice, tolerance, liberty, and peace. And we all say we want unity. We all want justice. We say we want tolerance and, of course, we value liberty. And all of these beautiful virtues point to the possibility of peace. But here is the problem: We leave out one group of persons, expectant mothers and their pre-born children. And the question before us today is why? Why?
That was the question that was debated today right across the street here at the Supreme Court. Why?
We don't have to live like this. What we can do is live in authentic community with one another, where every person matters, including the expectant mother and her pre-born child. That is called a community of care, where a tolerant, just, and inclusive society commits to this journey of life before birth, at birth, and after birth.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague. We do have an important opportunity here, and I am so pleased to have such an overwhelming number of colleagues here today to talk about and share their journey and their support on this issue.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice), my friend and colleague, to talk about another pressing issue that has impacted American families across the country.
Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and classmate, Representative Cammack.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the Nation's self-inflicted energy crisis created by the Biden administration.
The American people are feeling the strain of Biden's anti-energy policies that are causing costs to skyrocket. Americans are paying 61 percent more nationally for a gallon of gas and heating costs are projected to rise 54 percent this winter.
What actions has Biden taken to undo the damage he has caused? Begged foreign countries to increase global output. Last week, he tapped into our Nation's emergency reserve.
America will be less secure if we aren't properly stocked with petroleum. We will be at a disadvantage financially and defensively, making us increasingly dependent on countries like Russia and China.
Sadly, Madam Speaker, these policies place an undue burden on Americans at a time when few can afford the extra expense. Inflated prices on daily necessities are a tax on low- and middle-class Americans, and Biden's continuous anti-energy policies impact virtually every part of American lives.
Increasing domestic production of oil and gas would not only consistently keep prices low, but also boost our economy, create jobs, and preserve our energy security.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Oklahoma, my good friend. I thank her for talking about an issue that impacts everyday Americans, but also an issue that has absolutely hit the homes of every American, and particularly those that are working class.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger).
Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Madam Speaker, my faith and belief in God are the catalyst for every decision I make, and I am committed to protecting the most vulnerable among us.
We all have a moral responsibility to defend the right to life, which begins at conception. Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the monumental case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This case concerns Mississippi's law passed in 2018, which limits abortion at 15 weeks gestation to medical emergencies in cases of severe fetal disability.
The Court is expected to decide whether laws like Mississippi's aimed at protecting unborn children pre-viability align with the Constitution.
I hope and pray that the Justices will be guided by righteousness, by a respect for human dignity, by proper constitutional interpretation, and by modern science to uphold Mississippi's law, and protect the lives of the unborn.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of Tennessee.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser), as he is going to talk about another issue that is front and center today that is really hitting the pocketbooks of everyday Americans.
Mr. MEUSER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida, my good friend, for yielding and for creating this opportunity.
Madam Speaker, just a short time ago America was energy independent. The American people had access to affordable energy and the U.S. led the world in carbon emissions reductions. What a difference 1 year and one administration can make, Madam Speaker.
Americans are paying the most they have paid at the pump since 2014, gasoline prices are up 45 percent in Pennsylvania. With winter fast approaching, home heating prices are projected to rise even above 50 percent--54 percent for some American households.
The Biden administration's solution is to literally double down on the failed energy policies. This is creating national security issues and real issues for every American, and certainly every Pennsylvanian.
Along the way, some of the solutions from the Biden administration have been to beg Russia and OPEC countries to please produce and ship more, to tap the strategic oil reserve--which is a reserve for emergencies and catastrophes, meanwhile, it is yielding only 3 days' worth of oil--and a proposed increased cost to produce oil and gas on Federal lands.
With actions like this, we shouldn't be surprised when we hear the White House press secretary argue that higher gas prices somehow highlight the need for the rapid transition to clean energy. This is ridiculous. It is woke gone mad and it is quite deliberately manipulative.
President Biden and his administration have virtually done everything in their power to decimate domestic fuel production by holding up the Keystone pipeline, pausing the oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands, and actually even discouraging our banks from investing in traditional forms of energy and production.
So out of respect for time, we can all appreciate the goal for a cleaner environment and reduction in carbon emissions, but it must be done in a manner that is economically feasible and not damaging to the American people and our constituents who we are supposed to be representing.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, it is almost like my colleague makes too much sense when it comes to the issue of energy production and protecting our critical domestic energy supply.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. C. Scott Franklin).
Mr. C. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I appreciate you recognizing me for a couple of moments here, a fellow friend from just up I-75 in central Florida.
Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of every American taxpayer who is infuriated by the wasteful spending of our government. For many months now, Republicans like me have been taking to the floor to sound the alarm on the Biden administration's ridiculous and wasteful spending.
As hardworking Americans are struggling with the highest inflation in over 30 years, President Biden wants to continue doling out taxpayer money by the billions--to things like tree equity and studies to determine the effect of climate change on lactating individuals.
We have all been taught there is no such thing as a free lunch. When your government is spending money it doesn't have, like it is going out of style, you better hold on to your wallet.
The Washington Times recently reported more than 40 percent of the
$700 billion in COVID unemployment benefits went to fraudsters, including many connected to state sponsors in China and Russia.
For context, the relief money lost to fraud could have provided
$160,000 to every American family living under the poverty line or paid for an Ivy league education for every 18-year-old in the country. Instead, this money now sits in the coffers of our enemies who will surely use it against us.
It is bad enough that irresponsible Democrat policies have created inflation that is hurting American families, but the lack of oversight of hundreds of billions of dollars means that we are funding our enemies.
This kind of fraud, waste, and abuse should be thoroughly investigated by Congress. Unfortunately, Republicans are in the minority, for now, we don't have the authority to determine which investigations will be held.
I hope my Democrat colleagues share my concern and outrage. What they do with this information will tell us all we know about how they feel about squandering hard-earned taxpayer dollars.
The American people deserve answers and a solution that ensures fraud like this can never happen again.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the Sunshine State. These are incredibly important points about the economy. We are seeing over and over, example after example the failures of this administration and how it is impacting working-class families.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew), my friend and colleague.
Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding and for the amazing example that she is in her leadership to our entire Congress.
Madam Speaker, of particular concern to myself and many of my constituents in south Jersey is the Democrats' attempt to stuff their tax and spend reconciliation bill, or as I like to call it, the big, bad bill, with massive expansions to the IRS.
In order to pay for this monstrosity of a bill, Democrats are looking to hire more than 87,000 IRS agents. This army of auditors have the singular goal of spying on private transactions of millions of Americans and our small businesses.
And it isn't the ultra-rich that they are going to be going after. With a threshold of only $10,000 a year, nearly every American who has a job will be targeted. This is despicable at best and anti-American at its worst.
Biden administration policies are already leading the way to rampant inflation and to job shortages. The last thing the American people need is to worry that their daily transactions will become the target of the IRS. Unsurprisingly, this policy received near unanimous support from House Democrats, despite the widespread backlash it received from the American public.
Madam Speaker, I implore the Senate to strip this dangerous provision before it ever become laws.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey. Again, he hits on points that just make too much sense. We know that the so-called Build Back Better bill does nothing more than build the bureaucracy, the same bureaucracy that is strangling everyday Americans and keeping them from prosperity.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), my friend and colleague.
Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman from Florida.
Madam Speaker, tonight, Members of the Republican Party are standing up to talk about important issues that we believe are not only important to us that we feel very strongly about, but also to America, who is listening for clearness and clarity of issues about ideas.
Tonight, I would like to stand up and talk about the life issue. I want to talk about it a little bit differently. I am the father of a Down's syndrome young man. Many times, Down's syndrome children might be considered, before they are born, as something that might not be as respected or wanted by a family.
Tonight, what I would like to say is that our children are important. Our children that are given to us are gifts of God.
While each of us think of ourselves as being special, we need to think about our children, the next generation of not only this country, but of God's children. My son, who is now 25 years old, Alexander Gregory Sessions, who was born into a family that placed high value on him--not just his life, but his value that he has grown in throughout his life.
Alex, in many instances, has some limitations about him. Alex is an Eagle Scout and a young man who gets up every day prepared and ready for the things that will greet him and the world that he will greet. Many times, so many people are respectable--they respect Alex and not only his willingness to live life, but also to come and be a part of society and to do the things that are important.
So tonight, my message is not just to you, Madam Speaker, but the American people--the American people who need to know that life is so important and the children that many women carry not only will offer solutions to our future, but make our country better.
For those parents that might be facing difficult circumstances, and perhaps uncertainty about what they think or feel about the emotion of having perhaps a disabled child, I want to stand up and say: You will be rewarded. You have been selected by God to be the parent of a special angel, a child who will mean so much to so many people that will bring joy and love and admiration. It will be something that will be a lifelong gift, probably, and something that is to be cherished and important.
On behalf of my Republican colleagues, we do stand up and talk about how important life is and how much we believe these children and others contribute. We also want to say this--thank you to God for selecting us as parents. We are proud of the responsibility that we have and offer our thanks to You.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for sharing his deeply personal experience, that means the world. I know that constituents and Americans hear your message and respect and appreciate it.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose), my friend and colleague. I believe we share a common county in Putnam County. We both get the privilege of representing a wonderful county called Putnam County, even though they are in two different States.
Mr. ROSE. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Florida for yielding to me tonight. And in fact, Putnam County is my home county.
Madam Speaker, Tennesseans and Americans throughout the country who are already hurting from higher prices, widespread shortages, and fewer choices believe President Biden's Build Back Better agenda will cause inflation to skyrocket even further.
This social spending scam breaks President Biden's zero-cost promise. Contrary to what President Biden and his far left Democratic allies have consistently maintained, this bill is not fully paid for. In fact, it is not even close.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the CBO, it is expected to add $367 billion to the national debt. That is a massive amount of deficit spending that our children and grandchildren will have to pay back, but it doesn't even begin to tell the whole story. The Democrats used a long list of budgetary gimmicks to artificially lower the CBO score spending number of $367 billion.
The highly respected Wharton School of Business performed their own expert analysis without budget gimmicks, and they found that the actual amount of deficit spending from Biden's socialist Build Back Better legislation will, in fact, add over $300 billion to the national debt.
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Americans all across the country and from all walks of life can sense how bad this bill is going to affect our economy and add to our already sky-high inflation rate.
Democrats' Build Back Better bill is not just extraordinarily costly, it is also destructive. To put it simply, as radical as this tax-and-
spend spending spree is, other aspects of this bill are just as bad. While far left Democrats and Speaker Pelosi proudly revel in the passage of this bill, it is clear they have no connection to the needs and wants of the hardworking Tennesseans whom I represent, nor the majority of Americans across the country.
As my colleagues and I have covered, the provisions within this bill amount to a wish list of far left socialist policies that will have devastating consequences on American businesses, households, and families.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for his remarks.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), who is my good friend and colleague.
Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I am glad the gentlewoman's mama chose life.
Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here.
Joe Biden's build back broke agenda is for the coastal elites, not working Americans or middle class families. Increasing State and local tax deductions benefits rich Americans living in deep blue States. We all know the liberal media refuses to report it. This is a tax break for the wealthy, and we all know it. Even Bernie Sanders of all people is calling out President Biden for sneaking this into his agenda. So much for Biden's cries for the wealthy to ``pay their fair share.''
Well, it looks like who is paying their fair share are working Americans, once again.
There is also the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. Most Americans can't afford electric vehicles that cost an average of over $55,000, but I will tell you who can; liberals in California and New York have no problem whatsoever paying for this. It affords them this opportunity with this enormous tax credit--or as my daughter would say, ginormous.
Another tax benefit for the wealthy.
Heck, most Americans can't even afford to drive their regular cars right now because gas prices are too high.
What makes Biden think we will be able to foot the bill for an electric car?
Speaking of gas prices, build back broke ramps up the attacks on domestic energy production. This will make us all more reliant on foreign oil. Biden started this war on affordable energy the day he took office, and build back broke will make it worse.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for his remarks. They are very important points that he made, and I encourage everyone to watch his speech repeatedly on YouTube once they post it.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is my friend and fellow cochair of the Pro-Life Caucus. Representative Smith is a true pro-life champion.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her extraordinary leadership.
Madam Speaker, injustice need not be forever. By affirming the Mississippi pro-life law, the Supreme Court can take a powerful step toward inclusion, justice, and respect for the weakest and most vulnerable.
Shockingly, since the infamous 1973 abortion decisions, more than 62.5 million unborn children have been killed--a staggering loss of children's lives that equates with the entire population of Italy.
Abrogating both duty and due diligence, the 1973 Court wrote: ``We need not resolve the difficult question of when human life begins.''
Sidestepping that threshold and giving no benefit of the doubt to the child, they went on to legalize abortion on demand as if the baby were a tumor to be excised or a disease to be vanquished.
For decades, right up to this very moment, abortion advocates have gone to extraordinary lengths to ignore, trivialize, and cover up the battered baby victim. But today, thanks to ultrasound, unborn babies are more visible than ever before.
This begs the question: Why does dismembering a child with sharp knives, pulverizing a child with powerful suction devices, or chemically poisoning a baby with any number of toxic chemicals fail to elicit so much as a scintilla of empathy, mercy, or compassion?
Madam Speaker, someday future generations of Americans will look back on us and wonder how and why such a rich and seemingly enlightened society, professing to be devoted to human rights and so blessed and endowed with the capacity to protect the vulnerable, could have instead so aggressively promoted death to children and the exploitation of women by abortion.
Injustice, Madam Speaker, need not be forever.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of New Jersey for his beautiful comments.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley).
Mr. McKINLEY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida.
Madam Speaker, today the Supreme Court will hear a case that could determine the future of unborn children. For nearly 50 years, the Federal decision of Roe v. Wade has threatened the lives of the unborn. This is a decision that should be left to the States.
In 1973 Justices were told that unborn babies could not live on their own until the 28th week. But since then, there have been major advances in medicine. We now know that as early as 5 weeks unborn babies have a heartbeat and their brains are beginning to develop; by 10 weeks the babies have legs and arms that can kick; and by 15 weeks babies can taste, yawn, suck their thumb, and, more importantly, they can feel pain. They are living, breathing, and feeling human beings who deserve a chance to live.
Jeremiah and Isaiah said in the Bible that the Lord spoke to them in the womb: ``Before you were born, I set you apart.''
Both these prophets were trying to tell us something: Every life is precious. Therefore, Congress has a moral obligation to protect the lives of our vulnerable, unborn children and to be their voice.
Today I hope the Supreme Court will agree.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from the great State of West Virginia for his words.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of Illinois (Mrs. Miller).
Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I have observed multiple times when we open our daily session in prayer that we are praying to Creator God, acknowledging that God is our creator. He is also the giver of life.
I am proud of my five daughters who cherish this blessing from our Creator and have blessed us with 17 grandchildren.
The abortion industry talks about pregnancy as if it is a cancer diagnosis. How sad and tragic that Planned Parenthood and the chemical abortion industry have targeted and deceived young women for their own profit.
Today, we have been praying for wisdom and for God's guiding hand over the Supreme Court as it hears the Dobbs v. Jackson case. This case could mark the biggest win for human life in America in decades. In Illinois' 15th Congressional District, we honor and respect the dignity of all stages of life, born and unborn. Pro-life Americans believe all life has value, no matter how small.
I also have a little grandson who has Down syndrome. He is just precious. His name is Nathaniel, and that means a gift from God.
With the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, the Court can correct the dreadful ruling of Roe v. Wade and acknowledge that the decision wasn't constitutional or based in reality.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Illinois for her comments.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller).
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding.
Madam Speaker, we stand on the doorstep of delivering pro-life protections for unborn babies. Today the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The case will decide the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that supports life by banning abortion that takes place more than 15 weeks after conception.
It is my hope that the Supreme Court will uphold the constitutionality of this law, which will set the stage for Roe v. Wade to be overturned, ushering in a new era where life is valued and protected.
Nothing is more important than life. If we are not going to stand and protect life, we will stand and protect nothing. If my time in Congress is remembered for one thing, let it be that I fought to defend the sanctity of life. That is why I wear these precious feet on my collar--
the exact size and shape of a baby's feet 10 weeks after conception.
Madam Speaker, I will always support life.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks and for continuing to be a champion for pro-life and the unborn.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I appreciate her hosting this today.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in defense of the lives of our unborn children. I am proud to stand with my colleagues without apology on the side of life.
Roe v. Wade was one of the Supreme Court's biggest failures. Today our Justices have an opportunity to right that wrong.
At 5 weeks a baby's heart begins beating. At 10 weeks the child has arms, legs, fingers, and toes. That baby can kick and jump if startled while in the womb. They can taste and make facial expressions, yawn, hiccup, and suck their thumbs. Those are the actions of a child, not a clump of cells.
More importantly, that child starts to feel pain only 3 weeks into development. Inflicting unnecessary pain on an innocent child in the womb is not healthcare. Abortion is not healthcare. This is not healthcare. This is a child, a life.
Madam Speaker, abortion is an evil that has plagued this country for 50 long years. I call for the Supreme Court to act and to defend the lives and rights of our unborn. We must put an end to this torturous practice that has denied almost 20 percent of young children their constitutional right to life.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Georgia's remarks.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), who is my friend and colleague, to talk about how he is a champion for life and why it is so important.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I thank my fellow Florida Gator. I was born in Gainesville, Florida, and raised in the Tampa Bay area. I am very blessed to be a Floridian and with this wonderful woman here. I thank her for doing this Special Order.
Madam Speaker, today I rise to stand for life. Earlier the United States Supreme Court began hearing opening arguments in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case.
As this landmark case is litigated, I am mindful that modern science confirms every unborn child is a human life. As early as 5 weeks, unborn babies have a heartbeat and the brain and spinal cord are developing. By 10 weeks babies have arms and legs, fingers and toes; they can kick and jump if startled. At 15 weeks babies have fully developed hearts that pump 26 quarts of blood per day.
Madam Speaker, they can taste and make facial expressions. They yawn, they hiccup, they swallow, and they even suck their thumbs. During this time period, painful procedures trigger a hormonal stress response, and due to advances in technology, an unborn child is viable outside the womb at 22 weeks or earlier.
Our laws must reflect these realities and be realigned to protect the unborn.
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Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my fellow Floridian and champion for life, Representative Bilirakis.
I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Texas (Mr. Pfluger), my friend and champion for life.
Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the unborn.
Babies deserve the right to live, and we have a responsibility to defend that right. Today, the Supreme Court is considering the most critical abortion case since Roe v. Wade was tragically decided 50 years ago. It has been 50 years too long, 50 years of abortions, 50 years of abandoning the defenseless, and 50 years of Federal laws that violate the conscience of the vast majority of Americans, Americans who support life and who are opposed to their hard-earned taxpayer dollars funding abortion.
But today, the Supreme Court has the opportunity to protect that right to life. It is an opportunity that the State of Texas is championing. Since the passing of the heartbeat bill in Texas on September 1, almost 10,000 Texan babies have been saved, and now pregnancy help centers and other women's health clinics outnumber abortion clinics 20 to 1. The State now spends $100 million on abortion alternative services, including medical care and counseling.
I want to put this in perspective. As somebody who served in the military, most countries ascribe to the law of armed conflict. When an enemy combatant asks for mercy and asks for their life to be saved, it is the law of armed conflict that directs combatants to save that life. Yet, in America, we are not saving the lives of innocent babies.
I am urging the Supreme Court to make the right decision. I am praying for those Justices to save the lives of the unborn.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of Texas for his comments.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski), one of my favorite Hoosiers.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.
Today is a truly historic day for our Nation as the Supreme Court considers a landmark challenge to Roe v. Wade. This is a vital opportunity for the highest court in the land to rightfully strike down this deadly decision and restore the dignity of life in our Nation.
Our country was founded on the self-evident truths that all people are created equally by our creator and endowed with inalienable rights. Every child has the God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For nearly 50 years, our Nation has been plagued by a callous disregard for these fundamental principles--Roe v. Wade, an abomination that destroys life and our Nation's greatest potential.
Abortion is sold as healthcare or women's empowerment. It is a violation of human dignity that all Americans should not and cannot tolerate.
Protecting life empowers women and defends the most basic rights. I am proud to stand with millions of pro-life Americans as we speak up for the voiceless and the most vulnerable among us. The truth is on our side, and the truth will prevail.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Amen. I thank my friend and colleague from Indiana for her comments.
At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), my friend, colleague, and champion for life.
Mr. BABIN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so much, my good friend and colleague from Florida, Representative Cammack, for this Special Order hour.
Madam Speaker, this is a baby at 15 weeks old. He or she can sense light, make facial expressions, and feel pain. The beating of their fully functioning heart can be heard on an ultrasound, and all of their major organs are being developed.
Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Dobbs v. Jackson case. In the coming months, it will rule on whether Mississippi and other States like them can prohibit the murder of an unborn baby after 15 weeks of age.
Currently, the United States is one of seven nations, including North Korea and China, that allow abortion on demand after a baby can feel pain. I don't know about you, Madam Speaker, but I am appalled that our standard of human rights for the unborn is so low that we actually align with nations like North Korea and China.
When will the so-called party of science actually accept the science proving that life begins at conception? I am earnestly praying that the Supreme Court makes the right and the just decision to allow States to continue defending the very most innocent among us.
But no matter the outcome, I will never surrender the fight for our unborn.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Texas for participating.
At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Good), my friend, colleague, and fellow champion for life.
Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding.
More than 60 million lives have been lost since the treacherous, devastating, and dishonest Roe v. Wade decision by seven misguided Justices nearly 50 years ago--60 million.
The big lie is that there is a constitutional right to abortion, a constitutional right to take the life of a precious, innocent child in the womb. How have we let this stand for nearly 50 years? How can there not be one lone honest, compassionate voice on the other side, hearing and responding to the unborn cries from the womb?
What kind of a compromise must you make in your soul when there is no longer any honest denial of the science of life? What kind of a compromise must you make to vote for political expediency to satisfy the loudest, most aggressive special interest groups and vote to remove any restrictions on abortion?
How did we get to where one party is 100 percent unanimous in supporting unlimited, taxpayer-funded abortion at any time for any reason?
How did those who previously claimed the pro-life label and support for the Hyde provision at a minimum--back when we didn't have the scientific, visual proof of life--how do they now enthusiastically defend unrestricted abortion?
Yet, we find ourselves today on the precipice of the Supreme Court having the opportunity to finally, at long last, reverse this decision. May these Justices have courage. May they do what is right. May they do what is moral. May they do what is lawful. May they preserve and protect life. May they finally overturn Roe v. Wade.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for his passion and testimony. It is truly moving.
I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline), my friend and colleague.
Mr. CLINE. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman for organizing this evening.
I am proud to join so many of my colleagues here tonight to stand up for the unborn. Since the tragic 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, more than 60 million preborn children in America have had their lives cut short. This is absolutely heartbreaking, and we must continue our efforts to end the devastating practice of abortion in America.
Fortunately, the pro-life movement grows stronger by the day, and there is an army of folks across this country who serve as voices for the voiceless and defenders of the defenseless.
One saying that gets repeated around this Chamber a lot is ``follow the science.'' Well, science tells us that the preborn are, in fact, human beings. This is an undeniable fact. At 6 weeks, an unborn baby has a heartbeat. At 7 weeks, they develop pain receptors. By 10 weeks, an unborn child has arms, legs, fingers, and toes, and can begin to kick. At 15 weeks, a preborn human being has a fully developed heart.
Yet, through all of this time and well beyond, the pro-abortion movement believes this child has no right to life. But God willing, the ability to protect preborn life will soon be even greater in the United States.
The Supreme Court today heard arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson that will address the question of the constitutionality of previability bans on abortion. We must protect our unborn citizens, and I am hopeful that the Supreme Court will soon recognize that right to life.
Since the first day I was elected, I have worked to advance the truth that the pro-life movement supports. On this day, I am more committed than ever to ensuring that truth always prevails.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for all the work that he has done to protect life.
At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Feenstra), a true champion for life.
Mr. FEENSTRA. Madam Speaker, I rise today as the United States Supreme Court is considering one of the most consequential cases of my lifetime. The case, Dobbs v. Jackson, will have enormous implications for the future. Simply put, it will determine whether abortions performed before a baby is considered viable are lawful.
Here is why this is so important. As early as 5 weeks, unborn babies are forming blood vessels. By 10 weeks, pain receptors have start developing. At 15 weeks, babies have developed hearts and pump 17 quarts of blood per day.
With its potential to overturn the 50-year-old law, Roe v. Wade, and save millions of unborn children, Dobbs v. Jackson is a beacon of hope for innocent life. This is why earlier this year I joined dozens of my pro-life colleagues in signing a brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the Mississippi law in question that outlaws abortions after 15 weeks.
There is nothing more fundamental and sacred in our Constitution than the right to life. I humbly ask that you join me in praying for the Supreme Court to uphold the previability restrictions on abortions.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of Iowa for his comments.
I can't tell you how encouraging it is to hear so many of my colleagues fight and stand for life, but I can say with certainty that there is probably no one who has fought harder than Representative Hartzler for not just life but our values. I can't thank the gentlewoman enough for her work.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).
Mrs. HARTZLER. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Cammack for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to advocate for Missouri's children, both born and unborn, and to urge my colleagues to embrace the science of life.
We know children yet to be born are miracles. Windows into the womb reveal that at a mere 6 weeks, a baby's heart begins beating; at 7 weeks, a baby develops pain receptors; at 10 weeks, a baby can kick and jump if startled. Between 13 and 14 weeks, a baby will respond to light touches. By 15 weeks, a baby can taste, make facial expressions, yawn, hiccup, swallow, and suck her thumb. By this point, a baby's tiny heart has beaten nearly 16 million times.
Each week that passes marks a milestone in a child's development, a celebration of life. Yet, our country remains under the shadow of outdated Supreme Court decisions that allowed these tiny humans to be aborted.
While the United States is a leader when it comes to understanding in utero development and surgical procedures, our laws are antiquated and radical compared to other nations when it comes to protecting life in the womb. In fact, we are only one of seven countries across the globe that allow for abortion on demand after a baby feels pain, alongside human rights-violating countries like China and North Korea. In Europe, 47 out of 50 countries limit abortion at 15 weeks or earlier, like the law being discussed in the Dobbs case.
It is time we allowed our laws to be updated to reflect what we have always known to be true about the humanity, dignity, and worth of the unborn. It is time for the Supreme Court to protect life. It is time that they right this wrong. Let's pray they rule rightly. Millions of lives, literally, hang in the balance.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my dear friend and colleague so much. I am so proud of the work that she has done to advance not just our pro-life cause, but also American values. I thank the gentlewoman for her tireless work.
At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), my friend, colleague, and another pro-life champion, even though he is, affectionately, my favorite cheesehead.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
As was just said, the United States today is one of only seven countries around the world with such extreme pro-abortion laws. It is a little bit unusual, of all countries, this country, which John Adams said was formed only for moral and religious people, would have somehow gotten all turned around and wrapped around the axle so that we have now become, along with countries like Red China or North Korea, countries known around the world for barbarity, as a country that is that extreme.
In the United States, the vast majority of people lived in areas in which abortion was illegal since before the Civil War. We had a decision, Roe v. Wade, typical of the extreme decisions of people who, I guess, spent too much time learning in law school, who felt that in our Constitution we found something that virtually every church at the time would have considered barbaric.
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By the way, abortion was illegal before the days of the ultrasound. Now, with the ultrasound it is so obvious that we have got something precious, created by God that we are destroying. But even before the ultrasound, the average American understood how barbaric this was, and virtually every State barred abortion.
We can only hope that the arguments across the street are the beginning of the march back of the United States towards the God-
fearing Nation it was intended to be.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of Wisconsin for those words.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber), a pro-life champion and voice for the unborn.
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Madam Speaker, an unborn child is a human life. All you have to do is realize that.
Sixty-two million unborn human lives have been killed since Roe v. Wade. That is almost 1.3 million a year of unborn human lives killed. That is almost 3,500 a day or one every 2 minutes.
Madam Speaker, in my 90 seconds, two unborn human lives have been snuffed out.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his powerful remarks.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), my good friend and fellow champion for life.
Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments for the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson case earlier today, I would like to highlight what is truly at stake here; that is, millions of precious, innocent lives.
It all comes down to one simple fact: The presence of a heartbeat means the existence of life.
As early as 5 weeks, unborn babies in the womb can have a heartbeat. Furthermore, they start developing pain receptors just 2 short weeks later and are able to process pain by 15 weeks.
Anyone who claims an unborn child is not a human life is ignoring science, denying morality, and condoning murder. That is right: Murder.
Even President Biden acknowledged back in 2015, ``The moment of conception is a human life and being.'' On this rare occasion, I sincerely agree with the President.
As an unapologetic pro-life American, I will never stop fighting for the sanctity of human life or defending the unborn.
While we wait for further developments in this pivotal legal case, I am hopeful the eventual outcome will save countless innocent human lives and not add to the already 60-plus million who have lost their lives to abortion.
To put that number of 60-plus million into some perspective, the number of Americans killed in combat in the entire history of our Nation, starting from the war of independence, is just under 667,000, or about 1 percent of the 60-plus million unborn babies who have died during the last five decades.
I pray this crucial moment will confirm for all Americans that every life is precious, worth saving, and made in the perfect image of God. That revelation is a victory we should all celebrate.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of Georgia.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford), another pro-life champion, an incredible Member of Congress, and a friend.
Mr. CRAWFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida for hosting this Special Order.
Madam Speaker, I stand today alongside my colleagues, my constituents, and millions of Americans in support of life and in defense of the democratic process.
Human life begins at conception. Just 5 weeks into a pregnancy, an unborn baby's heart begins to beat. At 10 weeks, they have fingers and toes.
However, for 48 years, the Roe v. Wade decision has trampled on the democratic process and the unborn.
Since the 1973 decision, over 62 million abortions have been performed. That is over 1 million per year. This is a disgraceful attack on human life.
It is imperative that the legislative powers to make laws, especially of this magnitude, be vested in the people's representatives and not nine unelected judges.
Arkansans and citizens across this Nation want to protect life, but their hands have been tied by the Supreme Court.
I urge the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. It is time to return the abortion debate back to where it belongs, with the people.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague for his remarks.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), a friend, colleague, and a long-time pro-life champion.
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I appreciate Mrs. Cammack having this Special Order.
Madam Speaker, we ought to be concerned about the most vulnerable among us. Most Americans believe in God, a Heavenly Father. Is it hard to imagine that it would be extremely important to such a Heavenly Father that we protect the lives that are most vulnerable, most innocent, particularly? Could there be anybody more innocent, more vulnerable, than a child that is still in the womb?
I met Ramona Trevino some years back, and she had been a director of Planned Parenthood, I believe, in Sherman, Texas. She became shocked, having a teenaged daughter, that they were taught that they should come between a daughter and her mother.
Earlier, when they had directors' meetings of other Planned Parenthood facilities, the number they were most interested in is how many girls you are getting on the pill and how early in age. The earlier, the better, because they are more likely to forget to take the pill and get pregnant, and then they would get to destroy the life of an unborn child. That is something that if there is a Heavenly Father, as I know there is, he would have to be very upset with us for allowing that to happen.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my great friend and colleague from Texas. I appreciate his continued work and efforts on this very important issue.
Madam Speaker, I think it is very fitting that as we close out tonight's Special Order that started with the youngest Republican woman in Congress, that we end with the youngest Republican man. Our generation continues to fight for the pro-life movement, and we believe that we will be the generation that ends abortion.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Cawthorn), my friend and colleague.
Mr. CAWTHORN. Madam Speaker, I thank the great warrior from Florida for her leadership on this matter.
Madam Speaker, imagine you have just walked out of this Chamber and outside is a gorgeous sunset. You have a Polaroid camera, so you snap a beautiful picture, and the gray photo prints out the front. You hold it and shake it, waiting for the picture to appear. Suddenly, someone walks by and snatches your photo, ripping it to shreds.
You are stunned. You cry: Why did you destroy my picture? The person replies: Oh, it wasn't a picture. It wasn't fully developed yet. All of us in this room realize how asinine that reasoning is. That photo was transforming into a beautiful image.
This illustration by Seth Gruber is simple. But it is what our Nation has done to the most precious image of all, the image of God.
Madam Speaker, a silent genocide has slipped beneath the conscience of America. Precious works of our Creator, formed and set apart, meet death before they have breathed life. Eternal souls, woven into earthen vessels, sanctified by Almighty God and endowed with the miracle of life, are denied their birth by a Nation that was born in freedom.
God's breath of life blown away by the breath of man.
This cruel and fallen world may seem too filthy for their very presence. But these precious temples are crafted in the image of God himself. One day, perhaps when science darkens the soul of the left, our Nation will repent. But until then, the carnage of this unconscionable deed will stain the fabric of our Nation.
I hope that the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. I hope that we stop the genocide of abortion in this country.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of North Carolina. I am proud to be a representative alongside him as the pro-life generation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 207
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