FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF DOBBS DECISION

On 2026-06-24, Representative Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-4) delivered a floor speech titled "FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF DOBBS DECISION" in the House.

FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF DOBBS DECISION

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4229-H4234] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF DOBBS DECISION (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Moore of Utah was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.) General Leave Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Utah? There was no objection. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, today marks the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision, reaffirming that [[Page H4230]] the U.S. Constitution does not grant the right to an abortion and rightfully returning the regulatory authority to State legislators. I am excited to welcome my colleagues to speak on this topic with me. I understand some of my colleagues have commitments. I want to be respectful of the time, so I will have them start us off before I provide my own comments, of course. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague for his distinguished leadership. He has been tenacious. Mr. Speaker, we have people who will be speaking and some who couldn't be here who have never given up in trying to protect and preserve the lives of women and children from the violence of abortion. Four years ago today, the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson decision, brilliantly authored by Justice Sam Alito, who is from my hometown of Hamilton in New Jersey, reversed the infamous holdings of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. That decision stated the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected Representatives. {time} 1740 After a half century of death--and it continues, but, hopefully, it will be mitigated and maybe ended in time, but a half century of death, more than 65 million unborn children have been violently killed by either dismemberment, decapitation, or chemical poisoning of some kind through this terrible, terrible policy of abortion on demand. Thankfully, as a response to this, many States--21 and counting--have responded by passing pro-life laws to protect unborn children and women from the violence of abortion. For example, Georgia, Iowa, Florida, and South Carolina passed laws to protect the unborn child when a heartbeat can be detected at about 6 weeks. Thirteen States, including Texas, protect the lives of unborn children throughout the entirety of pregnancy. I remind my colleagues that the abortion President, Joe Biden, also acted after Dobbs was enacted. In response to the decision, his Food and Drug Administration allowed women to receive mifepristone, the baby poison, through the mail and without any in-person consultation with a healthcare provider. This dangerous drug is used now to cause at least 6 out of 10 abortions in the United States. How does it operate? It starves the baby to death. I work on global hunger issues and food insecurity all the time. I find it outrageous that there is a chemical administered that literally causes the baby to die from malnutrition. It also then expels the baby, and what results is a dead, badly dehydrated and, sadly, hurt, killed baby. One recent study found that mifepristone is extremely dangerous to women, as well. One in 11 women--10.93 percent to be exact. It was the biggest study ever done on mifepristone--experienced a serious adverse event, sepsis, infection, and hemorrhaging within 45 days of taking the drug. The number of serious adverse events is at least 22 times higher than what the FDA has previously suggested, which was based on egregiously flawed data. The FDA must now move quickly to investigate the impact of this baby poison not just on the baby but on the mother, as well. Meanwhile, pro-life lawmakers, including those of us who are pro-life in this Chamber, will continue to write, advocate for, and pass laws to nurture and protect human life. I suggest to my colleagues that the injustice of abortion violence need not be forever. Mr. MOORE of Utah. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt). Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, it is great to be here to rise for this occasion, to recognize the fourth anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson, where the Supreme Court returned the power to protect the unborn to elected officials and not to an appointed court. The Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was a landmark moment in the effort to protect the most vulnerable and to give those babies the guarantee of right to life and liberty. Today is really a day of celebration, but this is also a day of remembrance of the countless lives that we also, on the other hand, have to remember. While we celebrate on one hand, we also commemorate all of the lives that were lost during that flawed decision back in 1974 and all those who still need our protection even today. I am deeply proud of my home State of Alabama. Our policies there are pro-life, but in many States, the lives of the unborn remain vulnerable. As the chairman of the House Values Action Team, I remain committed to fighting and advocating in Congress to expand our efforts and ensure a safe future for our Nation's children, born and unborn. I have said this before and I will continue to say that I am pro- life, I am pro-family, and I am pro-child. Since the Dobbs decision in 2022, I have introduced the Protect Funding for Women's Healthcare Act to continue standing for life by ensuring that Federal tax dollars are not used to fund organizations such as Planned Parenthood. I will continue to work with my colleagues to defend the sanctity of life, to protect the unborn, and ensure a safer future for our Nation's children. Let me be clear. Our work is not finished, and this week's recognition for the Dobbs anniversary is a good time to reaffirm our unyielding commitment to standing up for the importance of every single human life. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama for his comments, he is a leader on this issue and always a good voice. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann). Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Utah for hosting this Special Order hour. I thank him for his leadership as the vice chair of our Conference. This is important. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs Supreme Court decision. Dobbs was a historic and long-overdue victory for life. It corrected the great mistake of Roe v. Wade and returned the question of abortion policy to the American people and their elected representatives. For nearly 50 years, Roe distorted our Constitution and denied States the ability to enact laws that reflect the will of the people and protect the most vulnerable among us. Thankfully, Dobbs restored that authority. In the years since, legislators across the country have acted to defend unborn children, support mothers, and affirm the dignity of human life. Now, 4 years later, the work is far from finished. Far too many unborn children are still lost to abortion each year, and dangerous abortion drugs are being pushed across State lines, often without a doctor's visit, undermining the laws of pro-life States and putting women and unborn children at risk. America was founded on the self-evident truth that every person is created equal and endowed by our creator with inherent dignity and the right to life. That right is the foundation of every other right that we enjoy. If we fail to protect life at its earliest and most vulnerable stage, we weaken the very principles that this great Nation was built upon. As a father and person of faith, I believe that every child is fearfully and wonderfully made by God, every life has value, every child has purpose, and no child is a mistake. Congress must continue advancing life-affirming policies, supporting mothers and families, defending longstanding protections like the Hyde amendment, strengthening adoption and foster care, and standing with the pregnancy centers and community organizations that serve women in need every day. Dobbs was the new beginning in our pro-life movement. We must continue working, praying, and building a culture where every life is welcomed, valued, and protected. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kansas for his comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller). Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Vice Chair Moore for [[Page H4231]] hosting this important Special Order commemorating one of the greatest triumphs in our pursuit to protect the lives of the unborn. June 24, 2022, will forever be one of the greatest days in American history. After 50 years of peacefully praying outside clinics and marching in Washington, Roe v. Wade is no more. While the Dobbs decision was a monumental victory, the fight for life has only just begun. Many States have stepped up to the plate, with over half of them enacting laws protecting the unborn. However, blue States have doubled down on the murderous assault of the unborn. Sadly, my home State of Illinois, is one of those States and has become the destination State of the Midwest for abortions. In 2023 we recorded the most abortions ever in our State's history, and Illinois' Governor proudly signed legislation allowing abortions through 9 months of pregnancy. Since the Biden administration rescinded safety regulations for chemical abortions, women are being 

Referenced legislation: HR796, HR797