On the recordAugust 3, 2015
I thank the Senator from Oklahoma for having this colloquy today because I do believe we are at a crossroads. With this vote we will have in about 20 minutes, we have a choice set before us, one that each one of us must make as a Senator and one that each American must make with us. With a ``yes'' vote--a ``yes'' vote is to defund Planned Parenthood-- we reaffirm our dedication to women's health. In fact, we recommit every dollar made available to support things such as well-baby care, cervical and breast cancer screening, prenatal and postpartum care, immunizations, family planning services, including contraception, sexually transmitted disease testing, and relevant diagnostic, laboratory, and radiology services. This bill does not take a single dollar away from women's health. I think it is very important, as we debate this decision in front of us, that we do not get caught up in rhetoric. Let's get focused on the facts, on what this does and what it does not do. This is a vote about our culture. This is a vote about our ethics. Most importantly--and I say this as a daddy of four children, two boys and two girls--this is about the value of our children. Over the last few weeks, we have seen these videos. Americans have been horrified at high-level Planned Parenthood executives who are callously discussing the price of baby organs harvested from the tiny bodies of aborted babies.…
