Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-AL) stood in the House well to oppose the Democrat motion to recommit the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36). The bill passed the U.S. House 237 to 187 on Tuesday afternoon.
“My question to those who would oppose this bill is this. What’s the difference between a baby born at six months outside the womb, and a baby at six months inside the womb? How can one be treated like a miracle they’re created to be, and the other treated like medical waste?” Roby asked Democrat members of the House.
Great questions. Watch her full remarks below:
Full transcript:
Thank you Madame Speaker, I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my strong support for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act or Micah’s Law.
My colleagues who oppose this bill adamantly defend a mother’s ability to have a late-term abortion and a doctor’s ability to perform it. But Madame Speaker, I hear no mention of the third person in the room – the unborn baby. I am astounded that the opposition chooses to focus solely on the two individuals who can speak for themselves with no mention of the one who cannot.
That’s exactly what we are here to do today. We are here to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves. We are here to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Our bill seeks to do this by restricting abortions after 20 weeks or at the sixth month of pregnancy, the point at which research shows unborn babies can feel pain.
Last week I too had the opportunity to meet the little boy this bill was named for – Micah Pickering. As many of you know he was born at 22 weeks and spent four long months in intensive care. Micah survived and this year he is in Kindergarten.
You see children like Micah who are born prematurely are treated as patients. Special care is given to reduce their pain increasing their chances for survival just as it should be. So Madame Speaker my question to those who would oppose this bill is this. What’s the difference between a baby born at six months outside the womb, and a baby at six months inside the womb? How can one be treated like a miracle they’re created to be, and the other treated like medical waste? If a baby like Micah can survive outside the womb given the appropriate care, shouldn’t we give other babies like him the same protection and chance to live?
I’ve listened to my colleagues on the other side call this bill extreme. I say to oppose this bill is extreme. If we won’t stop abortion at six months of pregnancy when a baby feels pain, when will we stop them? We have to draw a line somewhere. To say aborting a little baby who can actually feel the pain of the procedure being forced upon them crosses the line is a gross understatement.
Madame Speaker, I am unapologetically pro-life and I oppose abortion at any stage. I will always fight to grant greater protections for the life under the law, but as a society, I pray, we will start assigning greater value to life at all stages in this country.
Madame Speaker, so often we get caught up in the policies of this issue and we forget that these are babies for goodness sake. They feel pain. We need to protect them. That is why I urge my to oppose this motion to recommit and join me in support of underlying bill. Thank you, I yield back.