On the recordOctober 13, 2011
Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my opposition to H.R. 358. When I speak with women in my district, they are concerned about finding a job, keeping their home from foreclosure, or putting food on the table. What they do not ask for is their constitutional rights to be threatened or their health to be endangered. Yet this bill does just that. Rather than focus on continuing to rebuild our Nation's economy, the Republican majority is focusing their time on, once again, seeking to limit women's access to reproductive care. I am particularly troubled that this bill, the Protect Life Act, actually does just the opposite. This bill would override core patient protections and allow hospitals to legally refuse lifesaving treatment to women, thus allowing them to die in a hospital despite their treatable condition. This extreme legislation is dangerous to women's health and does nothing to address the jobs crisis facing American families. I urge my colleagues, if they truly want to protect life, to vote against this bill. ____________________
