Congressional Record—House H2951
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May 13, 2015 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2951 quote of President Abraham Lincoln, The phrase in the Fifth Amendment So, Mr. Speaker, let me close with a when he said: ‘‘Those who deny free- capsulizes our entire Constitution. It final contribution and wise counsel dom to others, deserve it not for them- says, no person shall ‘‘be deprived of from Abraham Lincoln that I believe so selves; and, under a just God, can not life, liberty, or property, without due desperately applies to all of this in this long retain it.’’ process of law.’’ moment. He said: ‘‘Fellow citizens, we Mr. Speaker, for the sake of all of And the 14th amendment says no cannot escape history. We of this Con- those who founded and built this Na- State ‘‘deny to any person within its gress and this administration will be tion and dreamed of what America jurisdiction the equal protection of the remembered in spite of ourselves. No could someday be, and for the sake of laws.’’ personal significance or insignificance all of those since then who have died in Mr. Speaker, protecting the lives of can spare one or another of us. The darkness so Americans could walk in all Americans and their constitutional fiery trial through which we pass will the light of freedom, it is so very im- rights, especially those who cannot light us down, in honor or dishonor, to portant that those of us who are privi- protect themselves, is why we are all the latest generation.’’ leged to be Members of the United here. It is why we came to Congress. Mr. Speaker, the passage of H.R. 36 States Congress pause from time to You know, not long ago, I heard will be remembered. It will be consid- time and remind ourselves of why we Barack Obama speak very noble and ered in the annals of history and, I be- are really all here. Do we still hold poignant words that, whether he real- lieve, in the counsels of eternity. these truths to be self-evident? izes it or not, so profoundly apply to Protecting little pain-capable unborn You know, Mr. Speaker, I think this subject. Let me quote excerpted children and their mothers is not a Re- sometimes we forget the majestic portions of his comments. publican issue. It is not a Democrat He said: ‘‘This is our first task, car- words of the Declaration of Independ- issue. It is a basic test of our humanity ing for our children. It’s our first job. If ence: ‘‘We hold these truths to be self- and who we are as a human family. we don’t get that right, we don’t get evident, that all men are created equal, Today we began to open our eyes and anything right. That’s how, as a soci- that they are endowed by their Creator allow our consciences to catch up with ety, we will be judged.’’ with certain unalienable rights, that President Obama asked: ‘‘Are we our technology. Today Members of the among these are life, liberty, and the really prepared to say that we’re pow- United States Congress began to open pursuit of happiness—that to secure erless in the face of such carnage, that their hearts and their souls to remind these rights, governments are insti- the politics are too hard? Are we pre- themselves that protecting those who tuted among men.’’ pared to say that such violence visited cannot protect themselves is why we Oh, I wish so desperately that every on our children year after year after are really all here. Member of Congress could truly absorb year is somehow the price of our free- I hope, Mr. Speaker, that it sparks a those words in their hearts because it dom?’’ little thought in the minds of all Amer- is very clear that it is almost a theo- The President also said: ‘‘Our jour- icans so that we might all open our logical statement because it recognizes ney is not complete until all our chil- eyes and our hearts to the humanity of all of us to be created in the image of dren . are cared for and cherished these little unborn children of God and God, that we are created. And that and always safe from harm.’’ the inhumanity of what is being done makes all the difference, Mr. Speaker, ‘‘That is our generation’s task,’’ he to them. because if we are created, if we have a said, ‘‘to make these words, these I don’t know if that will happen or purpose, if there is something miracu- rights, these values of life and liberty not. But, Mr. Speaker, as of today, lous about this magnificent gift of life, and the pursuit of happiness real for when we passed the Pain-Capable Un- then we all should pay very close at- every American.’’ born Child Protection Act, we have tention to what that purpose is. And if Mr. Speaker, never have I so deeply come a step closer, and for that, I am our rights don’t come from govern- agreed with any words ever spoken by grateful. ment, if they don’t come from the hand President Barack Obama as those I I yield back the balance of my time. of men, if they, indeed, come from the have just quoted. And how I wish—how f hand of God, then we have a great re- I wish with all of my heart—that Mr. FUTURE FORUM sponsibility to try to protect them Obama and all of us could somehow from one another and for one another. open our hearts and our ears to this in- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under Mr. Speaker, the Declaration goes on controvertible statement and ask our- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- to say: ‘‘That to secure these rights, selves in the core of our souls why his uary 6, 2015, the gentleman from Cali- governments are instituted among words that should apply to all children fornia (Mr. SWALWELL) is recognized for men.’’ That is why we are here. cannot include the most helpless and 60 minutes as the designee of the ma- Mr. Lincoln called upon all of us, Mr. vulnerable of all children. Are there jority leader. Speaker, to remember that magnifi- any children more vulnerable than Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. cent Declaration of America’s Found- these little pain-capable unborn babies Speaker, tonight we are back with the ing Fathers and ‘‘their enlightened be- we are discussing today? Future Forum, a group of young Mem- lief that nothing stamped with the di- You know, Mr. Speaker, it seems like bers of Congress here to discuss an vine image and likeness was sent into we are never quite so eloquent as when issue that is near and dear to our the world to be trodden on or degraded we decry the crimes of a past genera- hearts and one that is on the minds of and imbruted by its fellows.’’ tion. But, oh, how we often become so each of us on a daily basis, and that is He reminded those he called pos- staggeringly blind when it comes to the issue of our veterans. terity that when in the distant future facing and rejecting the worst of atroc- We are joined tonight by some Fu- some man, some faction, some interest, ities in our own time. ture Forum members. And we are going should set up the doctrine that some What we are doing to these little ba- to start by asking everyone who is were not entitled to life, liberty, and bies is real, and the President and all watching across the country to tweet the pursuit of happiness that ‘‘their of us here know that in our hearts. at us or find us on Instagram or posterity’’—that is us, Mr. Speaker— Medical science regarding the develop- Facebook under #futureforum to give ‘‘their posterity might look up again to ment of unborn babies beginning at the us your suggestions and your ideas the Declaration of Independence and sixth month of pregnancy now dem- about challenges facing veterans and take courage to renew the battle which onstrates irrefutably that they do, in what we can do here to address it— their Fathers began.’’ fact, experience pain. Many of them #futureforum. Wow. cry and scream as they are killed, but The first person we are going to hear Thomas Jefferson, whose words because it’s amniotic fluid going over from tonight is a veteran himself from marked the beginning of this Nation, the vocal cords instead of air, we don’t the Boston area. He is a first-term said, ‘‘The care of human life and its hear them. Member of Congress who served four happiness, and not its destruction, is Again, Mr. Speaker, it is the greatest tours of duty in Iraq, is a Marine infan- the chief and only object of good gov- human rights atrocity in the United tryman. So I am going to have SETH ernment.’’ States of America today. MOULTON of the Boston area talk about VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:00 May 14, 2015 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K13MY7.094 H13MYPT1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with HOUSE H2952 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 13, 2015 his experience as a 9/11 veteran and back to that transition. Because if you who has some mental issues. But the what he is hearing in the Boston area are a veteran who can come home and reality is that post-traumatic stress, and what we can do here in Congress.