Mark Kirk: “I want the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) to know that he is still my hero, and with a gentle heart, I rise in…”

“I want the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) to know that he is still my hero, and with a gentle heart, I rise in opposition to the position he outlined. Mr. Speaker, our goal is to end late-term abortions, and therefore, we must pass legislation that will be upheld by the Supreme Court. If we are to save babies, then we must do it effectively. When the underlying bill passes the House today, it will sit for 2 years while lower courts enjoin it, the Supreme Court reviews it and eventually declares it unconstitutional. So what is our goal, to end late-term abortions or to make a political statement? The Supreme Court of the United States clearly indicated in Stenberg that any law prohibiting late-term abortions 'requires that the statute include a health exception from the majority holding.' H.R. 760 does not include a health exception and goes far to declare that the procedure is 'never medically necessary.' We are setting Congress up for a defeat at the hands of our highest Court, rendering the action we take today totally ineffective and the current law permitting late-term abortions unchanged. I was not elected to Congress as a medical doctor and do not intend to tie the hands of physicians who should have the right to discuss all available options with their patients. Are Congressmen competent to regularly vote now on common medical procedures as never medically necessary?”