(CNN photo)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – It was a historic day in Washington as 18-week-old Lincoln Glenn Miller’s heartbeat was introduced as testimony in Congress Wednesday in support of the Heartbeat Protection Act.
Chairman Steve King released the following statements, videos, and op-ed at the conclusion of Wednesday’s historic Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice hearing on H.R. 490, the Heartbeat Protection Act. The hearing on King’s legislation featured the testimony via ultrasound of Lincoln Glenn Miller, an unborn child who, at 18 weeks, is believed to be the youngest person to ever testify before Congress. King’s staff says the legislation is popular with the American public, with polls showing 70% support for the enactment of heartbeat protections against abortion.
Congressman Steve King’s Opening Statement:
Excerpt from King’s Statement:
“The 14th Amendment codifies the language of our Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson set up prioritized rights in our Declaration with this more familiar language, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” In both cases, Life is the paramount right and cannot be taken without due process. Liberty is a right secondary to Life. No one in exercising their right to Liberty has a legitimate Constitutional or moral claim to take the Life of another.
The question before us, since America has held the right to Life as a sacred right from God (endowed by their Creator), the question before us is not, “Can the Lives of innocent babies be taken in exercising the right to the Liberty of the mother?” But rather, “At what instant does Life begin?” Science cannot precisely pinpoint the instant of conception but the ultrasound proves beyond any doubt that Life is present every time there is a Heartbeat.
The promises of our Founding Fathers must be restored to the voiceless and most vulnerable. Liberty can never again become the excuse to take the Life of another.”
Congressman King Offers Lincoln Glenn Miller’s Historic Ultrasound Testimony:
Rep. King says, about his bill: “Human life, beginning at the moment of conception, is sacred in all of its forms and we must protect the lives of voiceless innocents. The Heartbeat Protection Act, H.R. 490, will require all physicians, before conducting an abortion, to detect the heartbeat of the unborn child and if a heartbeat is detected, the baby is protected. I welcome this opportunity to have my legislation given in depth consideration by Congress and to bring attention to the importance of preserving each of these precious lives.”
King OP-ED in Breitbart: “Protecting the Unborn Reaffirms Jefferson’s Truths”
Excerpts:
“In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson articulated fundamental truths upon which the United States of America was founded. These truths included that each of us possesses a set of unalienable rights granted by God. Included among these God-given prioritized rights are the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Recognition of these inherent rights once helped propel our people into revolt against a tyrant. Respect for our God-given rights is an essential component of our American Civilization. Congress has a responsibility to ensure the Jeffersonian Truths of the Declaration of Independence are protected for current and future generations of Americans.
Of these rights, the right to life received primacy in Jefferson’s list for a reason: without the right to life, how would an individual’s rights become vested? How could any other rights be realized if one’s very life could be taken away by another who is exercising their right to liberty or pursuit of happiness? Jefferson articulated a prioritized set of rights; first the right to life, then the right to liberty, then the pursuit of happiness. Each right was carefully prioritized in sequential order because the right to life trumps all other rights. No one can take a human life in exercising their liberties and no one can take a life or take away the liberty of another in their pursuit of happiness. If the right to life can be taken by another, then no right of anyone is protected. . .
It’s time that Americans reclaimed our birthright, including the right to life, from the bloody hands of those who have betrayed Jefferson’s vision, resulting in the abortions of 60 million unique gifts from God. To this end, I have introduced H.R. 490, the Heartbeat Protection Act. H.R. 490 cuts through the obscuring haze of illogical judicial rhetoric and returns the right to life to the primacy our Founding Fathers intended. Under this legislation, abortionists who end the life of an unborn child whose heart is beating will be subject to imprisonment and/or a significant financial penalty. As a matter of law, the bill will ensure that if a heartbeat can be detected, the baby is protected.”
When does human life begin? Some say it begins at day 1 or at conception when a sperm unites with an oocyte, others say it is when the heart starts to beat which occurs around 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy; some believe it occurs when the infant is born and others have strong feelings that do not involve biological facts. So what should be considered when asking, when does life begin? This question is not only one of biology, but of philosophy, politics, psychology, religion, technology, and emotions.
Having a beating heart … does not matter – if the organism cannot survive outside of the women’s body or where humans survive. More than 90% of fetuses can survive outside of the women’s body at 26 to 27 weeks of pregnancy or 6 ½ months. The ability to survive outside the body of another sets a practical, technological limit on defining when a sustainable human life begins.
Personally, I feel strongly that if our government restricts a women’s reproduction rights – there needs to be a solid rationale; taking away a person’s rights is not something to be taken lightly.
Very well put.
Now if we could just get Congressman King to care about children AFTER they are born. . . .
Do you mean like the libs care about people, after they are born, and are just walking down a bike path.?