March for Life

Floor Speech

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Mr. HARRIS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding to me, obviously, on the eve of the March for Life.

Madam Speaker, let me follow up with what my cochairman has said. It has been 46 years since Roe v. Wade, a generation and a half. There is no question that there have been incredibly significant scientific advances in that time, advances that make the humanity of the in utero child clear and that we have to revisit.

The fact is that science has now put to shame the idea that life developing within the womb is merely a ``clump of cells.'' Well, I could describe any of us as a clump of cells, too. I mean, I guess, technically, that is what we are. But science now has gone deeper and allows us to show exactly what is happening and when a human being exists.

So let's ask ourselves: Who exactly is human? It is an important question, because if you are human, you are entitled to human rights, and those rights are guaranteed under our Constitution. It is a critically important question: When is someone human?

Now, science has answered that pretty clearly. At the moment of conception, when a sperm cell from a human joins together with an egg cell from a human, a new human life begins. Absolutely unique.

How do we know that? Well, in those 46 years since Roe v. Wade has been promulgated, we actually have Nobel Prizes for DNA describing DNA and genetics. We know that, at that moment, a unique human being has been formed with unique DNA.

My gosh, anybody who watches NCIS knows that. Anybody who opens a high school textbook knows that. When are we going to figure it out? Because, at conception, a new member of the homo sapiens species--that is what it is; let's talk scientific--is verifiable by uniquely human DNA.

From the moment of conception, any test on that life will show it is uniquely human, nothing else. It is not a little chicken. It is not a little frog. It is not a little cat. It is not a little dog. It is a small human being.

Because of that, exactly at this point, we have to insist on that human being's protection under the law.

This fact is not radical. It is not religious. It is bluntly, clearly, unarguably scientific, because over the course of a human's development in the womb, there is now what we call ontological change, that is, no change in the nature of that human being. The only change is the change in the size. That is the only difference.

Despite being further along in development, adults are certainly no more human than adolescents, adolescents no more human than middle schoolers, middle schoolers no more human than kindergartners, kindergartners no more human than toddlers, toddlers no more human than babies, and babies no more human than that in utero human being.

We can't allow the convenience and politics of abortion to obscure science. Humans in the womb deserve rights because they are uniquely human. They deserve human rights.

The science empowers us, and may the Lord, who is the author of all creation, encourage us today on the eve of the March for Life. In the words of the prophet Isaiah: ``But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.''

Tomorrow, let us march and not lose heart for the sake of all the little hearts that are beginning to beat at 22 days after conception who require our advocacy. We must advocate for a reconsideration of Roe v. Wade as soon as possible to allow us to protect all these human lives.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I thank Dr. Harris for his extraordinarily eloquent remarks.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the remainder of my time.

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