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From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MARCH FOR LIFE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for 5 minutes.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand with the hundreds of
thousands of Americans who are traveling to Washington for the 46th
annual March for Life.
Fighting for the rights of the most vulnerable Americans has been my
most precious responsibility since long before I was elected to
Congress. Most notably, I can remember marching to defend our unborn
children when I was pregnant with my son Stephen in January of 1990.
Last year, I was proud to march just days after my first granddaughter,
Isabella Marie, was born. This Friday, the day of the March, we will
celebrate Isabella's first birthday.
Again and again, I am reminded that life is beautiful, that children
are a blessing, and that we must do all we can to support our Nation's
mothers.
Though now we have a divided Congress, there is still so much we can
do to lift up women and children. This month, my colleagues and I
called on President Trump to veto any legislation that weakens Federal
policies against abortion.
We are fortunate that the administration is taking action to protect
life. The President has reinstated President Reagan's title 10 protect
life rule, so that our tax dollars don't fund abortion providers like
Planned Parenthood and others. This is widely popular policy.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, new public polling shows that millennials
prefer that their tax dollars go to federally qualified health centers
rather than abortion providers like Planned Parenthood by a 3-1 margin.
Only 7 percent of millennials share the position of the Democratic
Party platform that abortion should be available without any exceptions
and funded by your tax dollars.
The administration is heeding the concerns of the American people.
Just last month, the National Institutes of Health announced it will
fund up to $20 million to find alternatives to using human fetal tissue
in research projects. The U.S. Government should end all contracts that
use baby body parts. We must preserve the integrity in scientific
research by protecting pregnant women and their children.
This month, I am introducing two bills to defend life. The first is
the
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Born Alive Act, which will require all healthcare providers to give
babies who survive abortions the same level of care as other newborns
and to ensure that they are immediately admitted to a hospital. The
illegal fetal tissue trafficking industry profits most from abortions
that increase the likelihood of a live birth. Congress must provide
born-alive infants with lifesaving care, not exploit, kill, and sell
them to the highest bidder.
I am also introducing the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, or PRENDA,
which will prohibit sex-selection abortions or forcing a woman to
obtain a sex-selection abortion. The sad truth is that victims of sex-
selected abortions are overwhelmingly female. It is estimated that 117
million girls are demographically missing from around the world due to
sex-selection abortions, infanticide, and other forms of gender-based
violence.
Girls are targeted for abortions not only in countries like China and
India, but right here in the United States. These abortions victimize
both mother and daughter and have no place in a just society.
Mr. Speaker, there is so much bipartisan work we can do to protect
America's mothers and babies, and I hope we can act together to serve
and protect all God's children.
I thank all of those who will march for life this week. I stand with
them, and I will continue to fight and pray for the day when abortion
is not only illegal but is unthinkable.
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