J.C. Watts: “I thank Mr. CANADY of Florida and I congratulate him on his leadership on this critical issue. Let us not fool ourselves…”

“I thank Mr. CANADY of Florida and I congratulate him on his leadership on this critical issue. Let us not fool ourselves about what we are voting on here today. The partial-birth abortion procedure inflicts a terrible violence on the body of a helpless child. This is not a point of debate--everyone acknowledges the medical details of what the abortionist does during a partial-birth abortion. It is a violent and horrific procedure. And let us be clear. A partial-birth abortion is never medically necessary to protect a mother's health or her future fertility. In fact, the procedure can significantly threaten a mother's health or ability to carry future children to term. So how can we--the citizens of a supposedly civilized society--how can we say that abortion is a procedure that will be unrestrained and unrestricted--that there will be absolutely no limits and no parameters placed on this procedure that does such terrible violence to its victim. Who will speak for the victim--the unborn child, or in this case the partially-born child--who has no voice--unless we are their voice, unless we speak for them. My colleagues, I urge you to speak for these voiceless victims today by voting to ban this brutal abortion procedure.”