Martha Roby: “I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his leadership in the Pro-Life Caucus and for organizing today's…”

“I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his leadership in the Pro-Life Caucus and for organizing today's discussion. Of course, next week will mark 41 years since the landmark Supreme Court decision in ROE v. WADE, and since then, approximately 56 million unborn children have been aborted in the United States--56 million unborn children aborted. Recently, important legislative actions have been taken to defend the unborn and protect women from the brutality of late-term abortions. These include measures to tighten restrictions and raise health and safety standards for abortion providers. As we fight to increase protection for life under the law, I believe it is equally as important to promote the respect for life, emphasizing adoption as a loving alternative to abortion. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to highlight a very special organization in my State called AGAPE. AGAPE provides adoption services, counseling and outreach programs to mothers-to-be across central Alabama. Talk to anyone who has gone through either side of the adoption process, and they will tell you how challenging it is, and that is where AGAPE comes in. {time} 1645 AGAPE is there to find permanent nurturing families for children and to make sure all involved in the adoption process have the support they need. It is groups like AGAPE that help a woman with an unplanned pregnancy know about the loving, nonjudgmental way adoption works.…”