Eva M. Clayton: “I also want to join in supporting Dr. Foster as the Surgeon General. He is eminently and exceptionally qualified. In…”

“I also want to join in supporting Dr. Foster as the Surgeon General. He is eminently and exceptionally qualified. In fact, his qualifications are not being questioned. His suitability is not being questioned. If there is any question at all, it is just if he had the recall of mind for 30 years of all the details of a very distinguished career. Mr. Speaker, I would say even those things that he is questioned about, the numbers of, not whether he did anything illegal, he practiced his profession and did it well. He was a researcher. It simply concerned an opportunity to recall something, and he failed to recall the exact number. I question anybody who has not had the opportunity to misstate a number or misstate what they did yesterday. Certainly, Mr. Speaker, we would not expect, with a man who has had such a distinguished career, that he would be judged for a momentary lapse of a number. In that instant, please understand, Mr. Speaker, there was nothing about anything that he did inappropriately, any violation of the law. So I honor those persons who say they have legitimate concerns, they have the right to differ, but to deny a person the opportunity to defend himself I think is certainly un-American. Further, Mr. Speaker, I think there is an erosion of an opportunity to have debate around the issue of abortion. If people really want to have an honest debate about it, they ought to do that, and not find a way to have a way of destroying a man's profession.”