Vicky Hartzler: “I thank Representative Cammack for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today to advocate for Missouri's children, both born…”

“I thank Representative Cammack for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today to advocate for Missouri's children, both born and unborn, and to urge my colleagues to embrace the science of life. We know children yet to be born are miracles. Windows into the womb reveal that at a mere 6 weeks, a baby's heart begins beating; at 7 weeks, a baby develops pain receptors; at 10 weeks, a baby can kick and jump if startled. Between 13 and 14 weeks, a baby will respond to light touches. By 15 weeks, a baby can taste, make facial expressions, yawn, hiccup, swallow, and suck her thumb. By this point, a baby's tiny heart has beaten nearly 16 million times. Each week that passes marks a milestone in a child's development, a celebration of life. Yet, our country remains under the shadow of outdated Supreme Court decisions that allowed these tiny humans to be aborted. While the United States is a leader when it comes to understanding in utero development and surgical procedures, our laws are antiquated and radical compared to other nations when it comes to protecting life in the womb. In fact, we are only one of seven countries across the globe that allow for abortion on demand after a baby feels pain, alongside human rights-violating countries like China and North Korea. In Europe, 47 out of 50 countries limit abortion at 15 weeks or earlier, like the law being discussed in the Dobbs case.…”