On the recordJanuary 24, 2023
On July 4, 1776, our Founding Fathers in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence wrote these words that form the very foundation of our great Nation: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to say that we cannot and to say that we will not forget the duty of this Congress to defend the inalienable right to life. We cannot forget the devastating impact that Roe v. Wade caused on families and the unborn. That devastation would have continued if Dobbs v. Jackson--a case that proudly originated in my home State of Mississippi--had not come before the Supreme Court and opened the pathway to allow States to protect life. If our great Nation can unite around any singular issue, it should be that life is sacred, that life is a gift from God, and that life should be protected. {time} 2000
