Political Quotes

“Madam President, let me say two points to my colleague. First, fundamentally, this is about who makes medical decisions. Do we trust women? Do we trust the person who is pregnant? Do we trust their ability to work with their doctor? Who makes the decision in the United States of America? We stand with the women of America. The second thing I will say is that it is so difficult for me to hear over and over again about the sanctity of life when I lead the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, where we have to fight every day to make sure food is available for children who are born. The House of Representatives just passed an agriculture appropriations bill that gutted WIC, which is the Women, Infants, and Children Program for newborn babies and moms, to get them started in a healthy life. When we can't pass quality standards for Medicaid births, which are half the births of this country, because we have had objections on the other side of the aisle for years about somehow having quality standards for prenatal care and birth, it is very hard for me to listen to the idea that we ought to be protecting--it is not just the unborn. It is the born. It is the children. It is the moms. It is the quality of life that we fight for every day, for food, healthcare, and so on. So I find it very hard to listen to that language. I am very disappointed that there is an objection to a bill that would let doctors practice healthcare to protect women and babies. I yield the floor.…”