Pelosi Debates the Partial Birth Abortion
Act.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the ranking member, for yielding me this time. I rise in strong opposition to the so-called Partial Birth Abortion Act.
Mr. Speaker, everyone in this room knows that if this Congress succeeds in this misguided attempt to play doctor, not one abortion will be prevented. This is a very sad debate today. Abortion is a failure in every respect. We want to keep them safe, and we want to keep them legal.
But when they are medically necessary to save the life of the mother or to protect her future fertility, would not one want one's daughter to have that option or one's wife? It is so sad also, because this body has been prevented from debating the Hoyer-Greenwood substitute or amendment which would declare what we all believe, that no one wants late-term abortions, and that we would only agree to this procedure in the case of life of the mother or future fertility of the mother.
So to bring charges against a doctor for saving a mother's life or her future fertility and the family that she would like to have is cruel and unusual punishment. I urge my colleagues to vote against this legislation.
