OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Protecting the Unborn

Floor Speech

By: Jim Banks
By: Jim Banks
Date: Oct. 2, 2017
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Abortion

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Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague for yielding.

I, too, rise today in strong support of H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This bill would prohibit any elective abortion attempt of an unborn child who is 20 weeks or older, the age at which research shows children are able to feel pain.

I think it is worth noting that this landmark legislation is projected to save between 12,000 and 18,000 lives each year. These are individuals who will become fathers, mothers, technological innovators, servicemembers, and hardworking contributors to our great Nation Ten years ago, studies began to emerge proving that an unborn child is able to feel pain as early as 20 weeks post-fertilization. So as our Nation's understanding of fetal pain has become more advanced, protections for pain-capable unborn children have been signed into law in 20 States, including my home State of Indiana.

But that is not enough. Despite claims from many pro-abortion groups, late-term abortion is neither safe or, unfortunately, rare. As recently as 2014, it was estimated that 430 abortion facilities in the United States were willing to perform abortions on unborn children 20 weeks or older.

This sort of late-term abortion--at the point when the child can actually feel the procedure--will continue to happen without a Federal prohibition. Sixty percent of women, 56 percent of Independents, and 46 percent of Democrats support this sort of legislation. It has broad public support.

Let's ensure that all 50 States have protections for vulnerable pain- capable unborn children. I have advocated for these protections my entire career, from the State house in Indiana to here in the United States Congress.
That is why today I express my strong support for the passage of H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, introduced by my distinguished colleague, Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona. I urge my colleagues tomorrow as well to support this important legislation.

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