Tom Coburn: “I would like for the Members of this body and the American public to think about for a minute their children. If they…”

“I would like for the Members of this body and the American public to think about for a minute their children. If they have more than one child, if they lived in China today, it would not exist. Because of the oppressive practices of this Government, that if they had a Katie or a Sara, that I do, a second or third child, and unfortunate enough to be born in China, either they would be terminated against their will or strangled at birth. That is what this issue is about, whether or not they have the right to reproduce themselves and have offspring as a basic human choice. What is happening in China today? If their first child is born and happens to be a female, what happens? Oftentimes that child is strangled at birth. Why? Because a female in China is not as capable of caring for their parents at an advanced age as a male is because of their society. Regrettably, our country has separated human rights issues from economic issues under what I believe to be a very false pretense that, in fact, we can engage on an economic level and that we will change these horrendous practices. I do not believe that is what is going to change them.”