Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, took to the Senate floor Jan. 14 to speak against cross-state mifepristone prescriptions and in support of the March for Life, saying that the debate over abortion is ultimately a debate over whether or not every child is valuable.
At the march Jan. 23, tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of people will rally in defense of human dignity, according to Lankford.
In a press release from his office, Lankford heralded the sort of speeches that the march will also feature.
“They’ll talk about the beauty of life,” he said, according to the release. “They’ll talk about the value of every child. There’ll be testimonies of people that their family has personally experienced abortion. There’ll be testimonies of folks that have directly experienced the pain of abortion. There’ll be folks that will stand up as physicians and talk about the medical issues, but ultimately, they’ll be conversations about every single child being valuable and beautiful.”
This year, as Lankford noted, marks the 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment. He described this legislation, which prevents spending tax dollars on abortion, as a compromise between those who oppose abortion and those who do not. He said that the disagreement continues.
The senator said that science has resolved the question about when life begins, describing how, at the moment of conception, a distinct human person with his or her own DNA begins to live. However, he said, culturally, Americans have disagreed on when life begins.
Congressional Democrats failed to honor the Hyde Amendment when crafting Obamacare, Lankford said.
He also explained how, even though some states like his own Oklahoma have passed pro-life legislation, doctors in other states are sending abortion-inducing drugs to pregnant women in those states.
Lankford said that though many people claim that the abortion drug mifepristone is as “safe as Tylenol,” not only does mifepristone aim to kill children in the womb, it also poses significant health risks to mothers, especially mothers with ectopic pregnancies.
Lankford closed his speech by encouraging his colleagues to consider the fundamental question underlying the abortion debate.
“Are children valuable?” he asked. “Let’s keep talking about it. Because at some point, as a country, we have to resolve this most simple scientific ethical decision: Are some children valuable and some children disposable? Or is each child valuable? I’m going to stand with the marchers that are coming in next week to joyfully celebrate the beauty of every child.”
>> Before you go: 6 tips to help you navigate the March for Life <<
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