Request to Consider H.R. No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, the Declaration of Independence says that our God-given freedoms are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As Members of Congress, we made a commitment to uphold those freedoms equally for everyone, but Democrats and their radical allies are chipping them away.

Let's be clear. The Hyde amendment is not discriminatory. Instead, it is an essential safeguard that not only protects Americans' right of conscience, but also has saved more than two million lives from abortion since its first enactment in 1976.

Until recently, it was also overwhelmingly bipartisan. In fact, one of the most vocal supporters in Congress was then-Senator Joe Biden. He told one of his constituents in 1994, ``The government should not tell those with strong convictions against abortion, such as you and I, that we must pay for them.''

Well said, Mr. President.

Since then, the purpose of Hyde hasn't changed. The strong convictions of American people against abortion hasn't changed. In poll after poll, they tell us they strongly support a wall of separation between abortions and taxpayers.

And the science hasn't changed. If anything, it has proven beyond a shadow of doubt that human life begins at conception.

One thing, however, has changed: The Democrats. By putting Hyde on the chopping block, the message they are sending is clear and chilling; that the radical demands of the socialist left drown out common sense, science, and the views of most Americans; that the party of ``safe, legal, and rare'' is now the party of abortion on demand, until or even after the point of birth, and funded by taxpayers; and that the government will compel taxpayers to violate their strongest convictions.

Madam Speaker, the question before us today is a simple and straightforward moral issue. To represent the values of all Americans, Congress must respect their rights of conscience and not disregard them.

18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, on the Republican side, it is cleared, so there is only one party denying it.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source