CELEBRATING AND DEFENDING LIFE

On 2026-01-22, Representative Harriet M. Hageman (R-WY) delivered a floor speech titled "CELEBRATING AND DEFENDING LIFE" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered abortion, taxes.

CELEBRATING AND DEFENDING LIFE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 15 (Thursday, January 22, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 15 (Thursday, January 22, 2026)] [House] [Pages H1338-H1343] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING AND DEFENDING LIFE (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Smith of New Jersey was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.) Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the decision in Dobbs. It was January 22, 1973, when the U.S. Supreme [[Page H1339]] Court infamously said that the unborn child has no worth, no standing in law whatsoever, and legalized abortion right until the moment of birth. We have tried for years. I actually met my wife, Marie, in the pro- life movement 50 years ago at college--more than 50 years ago. We do believe, like so many of my colleagues, that life is a gift to be protected and preserved, and that birth is an event that happens to every one of us. It is not the beginning of life. To think that somehow the unborn child is a throwaway and nothing but an entity that can be destroyed at will is very, very inhumane. We need to speak out, as we are doing. I would point out to my colleagues--and I will be very brief and yield to my colleagues who are here--there are more than 2,700 pregnancy care centers throughout the United States, working to help women choose life. Each and every one of them is an oasis of love, compassion, empathy, respect, and care for mothers and their precious children. Yet, some States and lawmakers, including my own State of New Jersey, seek to discriminate against pregnancy care centers by violating fundamental conscience rights, including trying to compel these centers to participate or be complicit in abortions. We saw that especially in California. The Knights of Columbus has released a poll which found that 83 percent of Americans, including 79 percent of Democrats, support pregnancy resource centers. We wouldn't have known that, watching the debate just a couple of days ago on Michelle Fischbach's very, very important piece of legislation, Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act. It did pass. I thank her for her extraordinary leadership and courage. We found during the Biden administration that he was actually working toward a rule that would have precluded any kind of TANF funding--food stamps and the like--to pregnancy care centers to be administered and provided to their clients. That would have been so cruel to say that, no, we are dealing with this woman who is poor--they are not all poor that go there, some are indigent, but they need help. All of a sudden, we find out that Biden wanted to say that those centers can't participate in this program. Mr. Speaker, six States do, I am happy to say, and they do provide TANF funding. Again, Michelle Fischbach's bill--and I have more to say during this, but I would like to yield to her. She is in a Ways and Means Committee meeting now. It is underway. I thank her for that leadership. I can't say how important these pregnancy care centers are. I have been working with them for over 50 years. Louise Summerhill from Canada started the first group of them called Birthright. They were there to say: Look, we love you. We will help you. All of the centers that are now in existence do an amazing job. They are global. Again, there are 2,700 of these tremendous centers in our country. We have got about 55 of them in my own State alone. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach) and thank her for her legislation this week. Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I have known Representative Smith for many years through the pro-life movement. He and his wife, Marie, have dedicated so much time, energy, and effort to promote the culture of life and making sure that women, their families, and their babies are cared for and supported. I thank Representative Smith and his lovely wife, Marie, for all that they have done. He is an inspiration in this movement and this fight to make sure that babies are protected. {time} 1810 Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I would add that the gentlewoman's husband, Scott, is a tremendous leader and head of National Right to Life. Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much for his comments, but the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) has done so much by leading us through this. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heart full of gratitude, not only for the privilege of serving the people of western Minnesota but for the significant step the House took yesterday of passing the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act. This is more than just a legislative win. This is a victory for every woman who has ever felt alone during a pregnancy. It is a victory for every father who wants to provide for their child, and it is a victory for the thousands of pregnancy resource centers across our Nation that offer a hand to hold when an uncertain path is faced. We didn't just vote for a policy. We voted for hope. For me, the pro- life movement has never been just a political platform or a set of talking points. It is personal. As a mother and a grandmother, I have seen the miracle of life at every stage, from that first grainy image on an ultrasound that everyone clings to, to the incredible moment of feeling a child's first kick, and then that moment when you get to meet that child face to face for the first time. Those memories drive me to ensure that every woman in this country has the support that she needs to experience those same miracles with confidence rather than fear. My journey in public service has been shaped by these moments. From my time in the Minnesota State Senate to my role as the co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, my mission has been simple: To ensure that our laws reflect the beauty and the value of every human life. Being pro-life means so much more than being anti-abortion. To be truly pro-life is to be pro-woman and profamily. We must acknowledge that, for many women, an unexpected pregnancy comes with fear, uncertainty, and financial strain. Our response as a movement and as a government must be one of clear and tangible support. We need to be able to tell mothers that they are not alone. The pro- life movement is a positive one, a movement that surrounds women and their children with hope and support. I have fought to advance policies to make it easier to raise a family, whether it was expanding the child tax credit, supporting maternal healthcare, or streamlining the adoption process. Our goal is to create a culture where every mother feels empowered to choose life because she knows that she has the resources to flourish. I have stood firmly for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act because every child who enters this world deserves the same medical care regardless of the circumstances of their birth. I have advocated for the Hyde amendment, ensuring that the conscious rights of millions of Americans are respected and that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund the destruction of human life. These are not extreme positions. They are compassionate positions. They are positions rooted in the belief that a society is measured by how it treats those who have no power, no vote, and no voice. My goal is to build a country where every child is welcomed in life and protected by law. Tomorrow, thousands of Americans, many of them young students and family, will descend on our Nation's Capital and across the country at State marches in every corner of the country. In my home State of Minnesota, they gathered today at the State capitol, even in the extreme cold. They will march, determined to build a culture of life, a culture that supports a father who wants to be present, a mother who is finishing her education, and a child who is waiting to take their first breath. The pro-life movement is often characterized by what they are against, but with the passage of the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, we have shown what we are for. We are for the mother. We are for the baby. We are for the family. As the marchers arrive in Washington tonight and tomorrow morning, let them know that their voices have been heard in these Halls. Let them know that we will not stop working until our laws reflect the beautiful truth that every life is a gift from God. I am proud of the work we have done, and I am even more hopeful for the work we will do tomorrow and into the future. Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota for her very eloquent remarks, and as former president of the Minnesota Senate, where she was a great leader there. I thank the gentlewoman for her work on all of these [[Page H1340]] issues, but especially this week on getting that important bill passed. Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for his comments. Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I now recognize the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller), who is a great voice, has great strength on behalf of the family and the unborn child, and has a number of bills that she has offered dealing with the life issue. Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, 53 years ago, the tragedy of Roe v. Wade was decided, and 65 million innocent lives are not here. It is hard to even calculate the loss that this has been. God created them. God had a purpose for their lives, and God meant to bless the world through them. Perhaps they were teachers who could have nurtured the next generation, doctors who could have cured cancer, lawyers who could have defended the defenseless, or musicians who could have written the next great symphony. Thankfully, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe, returning the issue of abortion to Congress and the States. Since Dobbs, 17 States have acted to prote