Washington, D.C. — Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following remarks in a Rules Committee hearing today on H.R. 8296, the Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act, and H.R. 8297, the Loopholes for Child Traffickers Act. 

Her remarks, as prepared for delivery: 

ABORTION ON DEMAND, MORE RADICAL THAN ROE 

 “The bills before us today are NOT about codifying Roe v. Wade. These bills go far beyond that. 

“H.R. 8296, the Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act nationalizes abortion for all nine months of pregnancy, making America just as radical as China and North Korea.  

“It legalizes discriminatory abortions based on sex, race, and disability—what used to be plainly and clearly called eugenics. 

“It overrides state laws that protect women from coercion, and overrides laws designed to give parents accurate information about the pre-natal diagnoses of a disability, including Down syndrome. 

“All of this has nothing to do with protecting the health of women, and everything to do with forcing an extreme agenda on the American people.” 

LOOPHOLES FOR CHILD TRAFFICKERS 

“We are also assessing all the potential consequences of Ms. Fletcher’s new bill. This bill, as currently written, clearly has had no committee process or work just like the Abortion on Demand bill.  

“I have many questions and concerns, the biggest around human trafficking, minors, and also parental consent. 

“First, it stops health care professionals, social workers, and schools in every state from reporting instances of child abuse and neglect because that could be seen as delaying or hindering access to abortion.  

“This hurts law enforcement’s ability to keep children safe and hold sexual abusers and human traffickers accountable.   

“It also undermines parental consent. Parents can be targeted by the federal government and sued for wanting to help their child and asking them to delay out-of-state travel to get an abortion.  

“Finally, this bill stops states from preventing abortion pill mills and gives traffickers and abusers more direct access to chemical abortions in all 50 states.” 

NO LIMITS ON ABORTION FOR ALL NINE MONTHS 

“Overall, this is America’s future under the Democrats’ extreme agenda.  

“No limits on abortion for all nine months of pregnancy. 

“Abortions for any reason including based on race, sex, and disability. 

“The elimination of people with Down syndrome. 

“Loopholes for human traffickers to cross state lines and cover up their crimes by forcing victims to get an abortion. 

“The destruction of pro-life pregnancy centers providing health care and helping women and their babies. 

 “The denial of science and amazing medical achievements that allow us to treat both mothers and their babies in the womb as patients.  

“And, doctors and healthcare providers forced to violate their sincerely held beliefs and perform abortions to end a life. 

“There is nothing about this agenda that celebrates human rights or the dignity of every person. This is not how I define a free and just society for my daughters and my son.” 

THE LEFT’S FEARMONGERING 

“Both of these bills are designed to present abortion at any stage of pregnancy as a woman’s only option. 

“However, 76 percent of women seeking an abortion say they would choose life if their circumstances were different. 

“Instead of promoting ways to lift more women up with better health care, education, and financial stability and change their circumstances, Democrats, including President Biden, are spreading fear, anxiety, and misinformation. 

“It’s a disservice to women everywhere, and also creating uncertainty for their health care providers. 

“These are the facts. Regarding miscarriages, the medical care for these tragedies is not the same as an induced abortion. 

“For any woman who has experienced the loss of a baby, we grieve with them. I’ve experienced their pain too. Pro-life laws do not prevent women from getting care they need in cases of miscarriage.

“In addition, it’s a fear tactic to say that women will have to choose between jail or death if they have an ectopic pregnancy. No law in any state prevents lifesaving treatment for women with ectopic pregnancies and other life-threatening conditions. Planned Parenthood itself says treating an ectopic pregnancy isn’t the same as getting an abortion. In a similar way, state laws currently in effect have exemptions to save the life of the mother. 

“Regarding IVF, even the Washington Post has confirmed that state legislators are including explicit exemptions for fertility treatments. 

“And finally, the pro-life movement does not support and has always rejected criminalizing and punishing women, period. 

PROTECTING PREGNANCY CENTERS HELPING WOMEN 

 “Rather than prey on their vulnerabilities and fears to promote abortion for all nine months, we should be coming together to make sure women have the love and support they need at every stage of pregnancy and beyond. 

“There are more than 2,700 pregnancy centers in all 50 states. They outnumber Planned Parenthood by more than 2,000 facilities. 

“These pregnancy centers—which are right now under violent attacks by pro-abortion groups—provide medical care, resources, education, and mentoring to women. Their work should be protected, not undermined and threatened. 

DEFINING THE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE OF OUR GENERATION 

“The Supreme Court has affirmed American people’s right to speak through their elected officials to enact laws that protect unborn children. 

“The question is upon us. How do we want to define the human rights issue of our generation?  

“Is it by dehumanizing life and promoting a culture that destroys the most vulnerable among us? 

“Or is it by making abortion unthinkable by leading a new era where every person’s God-given unalienable human rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all? 

“Our greatest challenges at every stage of life can’t be solved if we don’t get this right.” 

LIVES WORTH LIVING  

“I think about the youth suicide crisis in America today. We all know parents, teachers, doctors, and therapists who are hearing from children and young adults in despair. They are searching for purpose and meaning in their lives. 

“Surely, we all agree that to rescue them from despair, we tell them the truth that their lives are worth living. 

“We don’t double down on the lie that the value of their life can be in dispute. We surround them with community, love, support, and compassion. We help them find hope again. 

“We help them revive meaning in their lives by celebrating what makes them unique, and reminding them that no one is meant to go through the harsh, heartbreaking, and challenging trials of life alone and afraid. 

“The same goes for the teenager in danger of dying from a fentanyl poisoning, for the woman in a crisis pregnancy. For the person with a disability who has been told their life wouldn’t amount to much, and for every person who has been marginalized and treated unjustly because of their race, sex, and ancestry. 

“Every person’s life is worth living. They can’t just be thrown away or discarded. 

“Every person—born and unborn—has human rights. For America to be a more perfect union, our laws must reflect that. 

“How do we help the most marginalized in society if the human rights of the weakest and most vulnerable aren’t recognized or protected? 

“We can’t.” 

HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE UNBORN 

“This abortion agenda for all nine months of pregnancy will entrench a culture of fear, pain, and dehumanization. 

“It cannot be our future. It’s not the will of the American people. 

“I recognize all but one of my colleagues across the aisle in the People’s House are already on the record for the Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act. My appeal today is for my colleagues to abandon this radical agenda for no restrictions on abortion. 

“Let’s come together for human rights of the unborn. Let’s come together around the reality that from the very beginning, every life has meaning and a purpose just like we have on behalf of people who are in search of security and a better life. 

“Every life is worth living.”