Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, this is not about States rights. This is about State funds. We offered an amendment to this provision that would have, in fact, provided 100 percent Federal funds to take care of this small handful of abortions, and that offer was rejected by the proponents of this measure. What this is about is what becomes of young girls after they are sexually abused by their fathers and their stepfathers and become pregnant. What this is about is what becomes of women after they are brutally raped and become pregnant. Now, the authors of this provision do not believe that abortion is an appropriate response to becoming pregnant as a result of rape or incest, and I respect their right to hold that view. I also suspect, though, that the decision comes more easily to the authors because they are not the victims of these unspeakable crimes and it is not they who are forced to give birth to the children of their assailants. This vote is about who makes the decision in these tragic circumstances, the politicians or the victims. Eighty-four percent of Americans believe that this decision belongs in the hands of the victims and not the politicians. I would submit that any of us who put the term 'Representative' before our names in this body have a duty to represent the 84 percent of the Americans who hold that view and support this amendment.”