OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Forty Years of Victims' Legacy of Abortion

Floor Speech

Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Abortion

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 40th anniversary of the monumental court decision Roe v. Wade.

Since the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, 40 years ago today, 54 million abortions have been performed throughout the United States. Over 4,000 babies will be aborted today alone and over the course of 2013, 1.4 million children in the United States will not be granted the gift of life.

Mr. Speaker, I am unapologetically pro-life. I believe that the miracle of human life begins at conception. I believe that every human being has the unalienable right to life and that this right must be protected by law.

As a proud member of the Pro-Life Caucus, I respect the sanctity of human life in all of its stages. Science proves that human beings develop at an astonishingly rapid pace and that the life of a child begins long before he or she is born into this world. At about 22 days after conception, a child's heart begins to circulate his own blood, unique to that of his mother's and his heartbeat can be detected on ultrasound.

Americans have a proud tradition of standing up and fighting for those who can't fight for themselves. As a woman, a wife, a mother of two children, and as the Representative of Alabama's Second Congressional District, I'm committed to fighting for the unborn.

Recently, my home state of Alabama became the fifth state in the Nation to pass a measure banning abortions after 20 weeks, which is the point where unborn children can feel pain. I applaud the Alabama Legislature for taking such a strong stance on abortion and for protecting those who do not have a voice.

As the 113th Congress begins, I will continue to do everything in my power to fight for the unborn, prevent taxpayer money from funding abortions, and protect our democratic system from the encroachment of an all-powerful judiciary.

Mr. Speaker, today is a time to celebrate the miracle of life and mourn those whose lives were unjustly ended. Let us use the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade as an occasion to reaffirm our beliefs and vow to fight for the life of every child.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward