March for Life pics, video and speeches

On Monday, in memory of the 39^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, over 35 pro-life Members of Congress participated in the March for Life. View video of their speeches here.

Speakers included Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chairs Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Dan Lipinski (IL-03), Speaker John Boehner (OH-8), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA-7), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (CA-22), and GOP Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (TX-05). A full list of Members who spoke at the rally is below.

On Monday evening, Congressman Smith hosted a special order hour on the House floor in memory of the 39^th anniversary. Video from Members who were able to participate can be found here and at the links copied below. 

View photos of the march at the Freedom2Care Facebook page.

Special Order Hour Speeches

Smith, Chris (NJ) [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4]

Blackburn, Marsha (TN)

Buerkle, Ann Marie (NY)

Fleming, John M.D. (LA)

Fortenberry, Jeff (NE)

Hartzler, Vicky (MO)

Huizenga, Bill (MI)

Hultgren, Randy (IL)

Lankford, James (OK)

Nunnelee, Alan (MS)

Pearce, Steve (NM)

Pompeo, Mike (KS)

Roby, Martha (AL)

Roe, Phil M.D. (TN)

Schmidt, Jean (OH)

Stutzman, Marlin (IN)

Thompson, Glenn (PA)

Walberg, Tim (MI)

March for Life Speakers

Speaker John Boehner (OH)

Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Chris Smith (NJ)

Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chair Dan Lipinski (IL)

Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA)

Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (CA)

GOP Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (TX)

Republican Policy Committee Chairman Tom Price (GA)

Rep. Steve King (IA)

Rep.  Jim Sensenbrenner (WI)

Rep. Todd Akin (MO)  

Rep. John Fleming (LA)  

Rep. Trent Franks  (AZ)

Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ)

Rep. Jean Schmidt (OH)

Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (NY)

Rep. Andy Harris (MD)

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE)

Rep. Mike Kelly (PA)

Rep. Mike Pompeo (KA)

Rep. Jeff Landry (LA)

Rep. Sean Duffy (WI)

Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA)

Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL)

Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX)

Rep. Tim Huelskamp (KA)

Rep. Bobby Schilling (IL)

Rep. Joe Barton (TX)

Rep. Jim Jordan (OH)

Rep. Steve Chabot (OH)

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (MD)

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TN)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO)

Rep. James Lankford (OK)

Rep. Tim Walberg (MI)

Rep. Bill Johnson (OH)

Rep. Phil Roe (TN)

Rep. Allen West (FL)

Tarring Tebow and Christian political activists

Commentator Cal Thomas tars Tim Tebow and church leaders for publicly exercising their faith, essentially labeling them Pharisees who crave approval for practicing piety.

Thomas disapproves of Tebow's kneeling in thanks to God, yet anyone who's watched the rookie's unpredictable passing soon realizes he needs divine assistance to win. One can hardly blame the guy for publicly acknowledging the fact.

Thomas lambastes church leaders for endorsing a presidential candidate who promises to honor life and respect religious freedom, alleging that they "repeatedly search for an earthly savior." Yet anyone who's watched politicians work in Washington realizes they're about the farthest thing from earthly saviors.

One can hardly blame people of faith for praying for a new president who won't gut conscience protections for health professionals, or petition the Supreme Court to force faith-based organizations to hire people who violate their values or force pro-life individuals to subsidize life-ending contraceptives.

To exclude people of faith from the public square would be to ignore the landmark gains made by the faith community through political action--including ending slavery and segregation, advancing protections for human beings in all stages of life and providing safety nets for the poor. If that's Pharisaism, then we ought to embrace every jot and tittle of it.

Today's back-alley abortions

In her excellent op-ed, "Dead wrong," attorney Denise Burke traces the abortion industry's fight against laws that would subject abortion clinics to the same health standards required of similar surgical clinics.

Abortion advocates will soon celebrate the anniversary of the infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which abrogated states' rights regarding abortion, and they will claim that the ruling ended dangerous "back-alley" abortions. In fact, Roe simply spread back-alley abortions nationwide, as politicians curried favor with political supporters like Planned Parenthood by exempting abortion clinics from reasonable government health oversight.

I recall listening to Norma McCorvey--whose now-regretted allegations as Jane Roe in the Supreme Court's Roe v Wade decision provided pro-abortion attorneys with a false pretense for their case--as she testified at a U.S. Senate hearing in 1998 about her experience working in abortion clinics.

Ms. McCorvey testified, "I saw procedure rooms where sanitation and hygiene were after-thoughts. I worked with a doctor who operated on women while he was barefoot. I've worked in the clinics where drug use was rampant among clinic workers."

As a result of the erroneous facts and flawed ruling in Roe, abortion may be legal, but it is hardly rare or safe. Over a million abortions a year are performed in the U.S. in largely unregulated clinics that can hide unsanitary conditions, unqualified practitioners and predatory practices with vulnerable women. Witness Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell's butchery, where live babies were killed with concentration camp inhumanity and women suffered and died in a filthy facility described as "a bad gas station restroom."

Abortion advocates commonly contend that health and safety regulation would shut down their clinics. What does that tell you about the level of safety women encounter in abortion clinics? Such tacit admissions should spur legislators to action to protect women. Otherwise any abortion clinic, shrouded in secrecy and protected by special interest lobbies, remains a "back alley clinic."