Political Quotes

“reluctantly, I must vote against passage of H.R. 3019, the omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 1996. I support the bill's goal to provide funding for Federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 1996 at a level consistent with the goal of achieving a balanced budget. However, I have several concerns regarding the bill and I'd like to elaborate on them. First, I object to the inclusion of abortion riders in appropriations bills. The rider in this bill, in particular, was grossly unfair to poor women who are the victims of rape or incest. Each year, thousands of American women are brutally raped, or are the tragic victims of incest. Their emotional and physical burdens are compounded when they find themselves pregnant as a result. I do not believe that the rights of States outweigh the rights of poor, Medicaid-eligible women who are pregnant as a result of heinous crimes committed against them, and I strongly oppose the language in the bill which would deny a woman the right to choose in these instances.”