Tim Huelskamp: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly appreciate your leadership. Long before I came here to this body, I have always…”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly appreciate your leadership. Long before I came here to this body, I have always considered you my personal hero. So I thank you for that continued leadership. Next week, we will see the 41st March for Life. I have been attending marches nearly for all of the last 20 years either here or in Kansas because protecting life is something I strongly believe in. I have believed in it enough to take part in the Summer of Mercy in Wichita, Kansas, despite the heat, the ridicule and threat of arrest. And I believed in it enough that my wife and I met doing pro-life work helping and encouraging women in crisis pregnancies. We believe in protecting life enough to have four adopted children. I still remember meeting our two daughters for the first time, at airports of all places. In Miami in 1999, I waited with my wife, nervously looking forward to that first glimpse, the first time we were going to hold our oldest daughter. In Kansas City 2 years later, this time my oldest daughter in one hand and a dozen roses in the other waiting for my wife to step off the plane with our second daughter. I still remember that ride home. My wife had a bright idea--a 3- and a 5-year-old--she said, maybe if we put their car seats together, they can learn to get along. That lasted about 15 minutes. But 400 miles later, we finally arrived home just in time for Christmas Eve Mass. And what a Christmas gift from a mother who chose life.…”