Lloyd Bentsen: “why does the majority not want open debate on this issue, which is literally a matter of life and death? Why have they…”

“why does the majority not want open debate on this issue, which is literally a matter of life and death? Why have they produced a rule with no amendments and required us to vote on only the most extreme measure, which they know will not become law, because the President has already said he will veto it? Why will they not let us debate this, like we would in all American systems? That is what this country is about. But they do not want to do that, because this is not about late-term abortion. This is about politics. This is about creating a political issue that we can use in the next election to beat each other up with. That is wrong. What we should be dealing with here is the issue. There are many of us, a vast majority of the House, that agree with what 40 other States, 40 of the 50 States and the District of Columbia do in limiting late-term abortions, except allowing for both the life of the mother and the health of the mother. We are not the AMA. We are not physicians. We are politicians. We should rely on their expertise. But let us not play politics here. Let us debate the issue. Let us debate it like America debates it, in open and fair debate.”