Robert Smith: “I rise today, first, to thank Senator Santorum for his leadership on this issue but, more important, to stand with those…”

“I rise today, first, to thank Senator Santorum for his leadership on this issue but, more important, to stand with those who stand for the principle of life today on this very important bill. I have consistently supported this principle and have tried to listen with some care and compassion to those who advocate the other view. I heard them say things like, ``Let's make abortion safe, legal, and rare,'' except for the fact that when it comes to doing anything to make it rare, I seldom see them helping us in this endeavor. Conversely, I have tried very hard to reach out on issues of education and prevention to try to make abortion rare. Today presents us with an opportunity not to end abortion but simply to ban one incredibly gruesome procedure and to make all unborn American children safe from this procedure. It is clear, because of testimony that has come out, that the partial-birth abortion is anything but rare in this country, and today we need to make it impossible.”