Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman. Madam Speaker, this is a very commonsense bill, H.R. 36, which is being presented by my colleague Mr. Franks from Arizona. Why do we have to do this? I am going to tell you something. It is because scientific evidence now shows that unborn babies can feel pain by 20 weeks postfertilization and, likely, even earlier. It is because a late-term abortion is an excruciatingly painful and inhumane act against children who are waiting to be born and against their mothers. It is because women who terminate pregnancies at 20 weeks are 35 times more likely to die from abortion than they are in the first trimester, and they are 91 times more likely to die from abortion at 21 weeks or beyond. It is because, after 5 months into a pregnancy, the baby is undeniably a living, growing human, and the government's first duty is to protect innocent life. It is because, overwhelmingly, most Americans--and I am talking about men and women, young and old--support legislation to protect these innocent people. It is because the hideous case of Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia is a brutal reminder of what can occur without this type of legislation in place. H.R. 36 would federally ban almost all abortions from being performed beyond the 20th week of pregnancy with exceptions for instances of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake.…”