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Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
January 7, 2023 • 1:50 AM
Introduced in House
January 6, 2023
Considered as privileged matter. (consideration: CR H48)
January 7, 2023 • 1:49 AM
Passed/agreed to in House: On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection. (text: CR H48)
January 7, 2023 • 1:50 AM
On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection. (text: CR H48)
January 7, 2023 • 1:50 AM
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
January 7, 2023 • 1:50 AM
What members said about H.Res. 3 on the floor
Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 5, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 3) expressing the sense of Congress condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and…
Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 5, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 3) expressing the sense of Congress condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 3.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, the FACE Act prohibits threats of force, obstruction, and property damage intended to interfere with reproductive healthcare services. Let me just go over that again. It prohibits threats of force, obstruction, and property damage intended to interfere with reproductive healthcare services.
The Justice Department has said that this act is not just about abortions but applies, as well, as to ``pro-life pregnancy counseling services and other pregnancy support facilities providing reproductive healthcare.''
So it applies across the board.
Here is the problem. On May 8, 2022, Mother's Day, activists targeted a pro-life, nonprofit center in Madison, Wisconsin, setting it ablaze and vandalizing it with the words, ``If abortions aren't safe then you aren't either.''
On June 3, 2022, leftwing anti-life activists targeted the Capitol Hill Crisis Pregnancy Center throwing red paint on the door, eggs at the window, and spray painting the window with, ``Jane says revenge.''
On June 25, 2022, in Longmont, Colorado, vandals graffitied and set fire--set fire--to the Life Choices free pregnancy center.
This has happened dozens and dozens and dozens of times all across the country.
What has the Justice Department done?
To my knowledge, no one has been prosecuted on the FACE Act--not one single person, to my knowledge.
But, oh, Madam Speaker, if you are a pro-life activist and you are praying outside an abortion clinic, like Mark Houck, then guess what happens to you?
The FBI kicks in your door, arrests you, puts you in handcuffs, and does it in front of your wife and seven children. That is what happens.
Madam Speaker, we don't want violence anywhere. As Mr. Cicilline said in his 1-minute speech, we don't want any violence anywhere. But let's not have this double standard.
Not to mention this: Think about what happened after the Dobbs decision was leaked, the leak draft of that opinion; we had activists protesting at every Supreme--well, not every one because only the conservative Justices' names were doxed, and information put out there. We had protests at their homes. In direct violation of the statute 18 U.S.C. 1507: You are not supposed to be protesting and interfering when a decision is pending in front of a Supreme Court Justice's home.
This was a direct violation of the statute, and, again, nothing happened.
That situation, as we all know, got real serious. It got real serious with the assassination attempt on Justice Kavanaugh.
So this resolution is straightforward.
What has happened literally now at hundreds of crisis pregnancy centers and churches around the country this past year is just flat-out wrong. This is a resolution that says that we appreciate the good work that happens at crisis pregnancy centers where they take in women and where they help them and help that unborn child and make sure that that unborn child gets to experience the gift of life.
The sanctity of life is what this is all about.
I commend my colleague and friend, Mr. Johnson, from the great State of Louisiana for this resolution and the people across the country who volunteer and who work every day at these centers to help these ladies who are in a tough situation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
What purpose? It says it right in the title: ``Expressing the sense of Congress condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.''
Over 100 churches and pro-life facilities have been attacked in the last 7 months. That is all this resolution does.
Republicans condemn violence every time it happens. We condemn it when it happens to abortion clinics. We condemn it when it happens to churches. We condemn it when it happens to pro-life centers. We condemned it when it happened in the summer of 2020 all over the country. We condemned it when it happened on January 6. We condemn it every single time.
This is just highlighting what has happened in the last 7 months with churches and pro-life centers around the country. It is that simple. This should be unanimous.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson), my friend and the sponsor of this great legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I point out to my friend from Tennessee that it is not that I believe the DOJ has the ability to use the FACE Act to prosecute people who vandalize and attack crisis pregnancy centers; they have said it. The Department of Justice says they can do that. I am just asking why they haven't.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Carl), my good friend.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Guest).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from the great State of Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), a pro-life leader and good friend.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Bishop).
Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. Greene).
Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Buck).
Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).
Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing.
Madam Speaker, I just want to read what the resolution says: That Congress condemns recent attacks, over 100 of them in the last 7 months, on pro-life pregnancy centers and churches; condemns recent attacks of vandalism, violence, and destruction against pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.
Second, it recognizes the sanctity of life, the important role pro- life facilities, groups, and churches play in supporting pregnant women, infants, and families.
Three, it calls upon the Biden administration to use all appropriate law enforcement authorities to uphold public safety and protect the rights of pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.
That is all it says. This is as apple pie as it gets. The hundreds of churches and crisis pregnancy centers that have been attacked in the last 7 months, this resolution says: Biden administration, use the FACE Act, which you have said applies not just to pro-abortion clinics but also to pro-life crisis pregnancy centers, use that to make sure we can stop this stuff from happening in the future.
We condemn all violence every time it happens. Here is what is interesting: The violence that has been cited by the other side against abortion clinics and people associated with them, guess what? Those individuals were prosecuted, and we support that.
What we want to know is why. With over 100 attacks, why hasn't the Justice Department, to my knowledge, used the FACE Act to prosecute anybody? Why?
They say there is no political nature at the Justice Department now; there is no weaponization. Really? Because it sure looks like there is a conflict here. Sure looks like there is a double standard here. This resolution is as basic as it gets.
Madam Speaker, I urge support, hope this thing passes unanimously, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this woefully incomplete resolution. I will begin by saying that I condemn violence in all its forms,…
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this woefully incomplete resolution.
I will begin by saying that I condemn violence in all its forms, including the threats, vandalism, and property destruction described in H. Con. Res. 3. I would also like to reiterate my condemnation of the attempted murder of Supreme Court Justice Brett
Kavanaugh. That should go without saying.
I am grateful that no one appears to have been physically injured in the vandalism incidents described in the resolution, and that law enforcement took Justice Kavanaugh's would-be assassin into custody before he could complete an act of violence.
In a democracy, violence is never the answer in a political dispute, and it should be roundly condemned in all its forms.
This resolution, however, is a transparent partisan ploy that is a woefully and unacceptably inadequate condemnation of violence. It comes in the context of extremist MAGA Republicans' effort to enact a total ban on abortion at both the State and Federal levels. In what appears to be a glaring omission to H. Con. Res. 3, my Republican colleagues refused to condemn the long, documented history of violence, murder, and mayhem perpetrated by anti-abortion extremists against abortion providers and their patients.
According to the National Abortion Federation, since 1977 anti- abortion extremists have been responsible for 11 murders, 42 bombings, 196 arsons, 491 assaults, and thousands of incidents of criminal activities directed at patients, providers, and volunteers.
Sadly, these incidents have increased dramatically in recent years. In 2021, abortion providers faced a 600 percent increase in stalking incidents, a 450 percent increase in clinic blockades, a 163 percent increase in reports of hoax devices or suspicious packages, a 129 percent increase in invasions, and a 128 percent increase in assault and battery compared to previous years.
In some cases, violence against abortion providers has had deadly consequences. For example, in November 2015 a gunman murdered three people and injured nine others when he opened fire with an assault- style rifle at a Planned Parenthood health center in Colorado Springs.
In January 2021, a gunman attacked a Planned Parenthood clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, and later that year, the same clinic was burned to the ground by arsonists.
Regardless of your position on abortion rights, Madam Speaker, it is important that we condemn all acts of violence, regardless of who is the ultimate target. I am concerned that by refusing to condemn violence against providers, this resolution will inadvertently send a signal to anti-abortion extremists that violence against abortion providers is justified by the vandalism described in the resolution.
If this inadequate resolution could potentially fan the flames of political discord, what purpose then does it serve?
The only purpose I can infer is that it is intended to placate the extreme elements of the anti-abortion movement while this Republican majority figures out how to pass a total nationwide ban on abortion.
Let me be clear: Democrats stand with the majority of the American public and will oppose such a radical position.
H. Con. Res. 3 is nothing more than a partisan political ploy designed to advance an extreme anti-abortion agenda and is not a serious effort to condemn political violence. Indeed, it may have the opposite effect on the American public because it purposely fails to condemn the thousands of threats, violent incidents, and attacks that abortion providers and patients have endured for decades at the hands of anti-abortion extremists.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, the resolution condemns violence at pro- life clinics but not at pro-choice clinics. That says it all.
Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), a member of the Judiciary Committee.
Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a member of the Judiciary Committee.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the ranking member of the Small Business Committee.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).
I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Frost), for whom I think this is his first speech on the floor.
Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette).
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley).
Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing.
Madam Speaker, if House Republicans were serious about condemning violence surrounding the debate on abortion, the resolution would be clear in condemning all acts of violence, lest we give tacit acquiescence to extremist anti-abortion violence and against abortion providers. This resolution does not do that at all.
Undoubtedly, my Republican colleagues will attempt to portray any opposition to this partisan resolution as proof of Democrats' so-called extreme position on abortion, but the American public is not so easily fooled.
They will recognize this resolution for what it is, a transparent political exercise intended to lay the groundwork for MAGA Republicans' plans for a total nationwide ban on abortion.
Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to vote ``no,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
Madam Speaker, if my Republican colleagues want to condemn the growing level of political violence in this country, let's do it together. That is not what this resolution does. What it does is it…
Madam Speaker, if my Republican colleagues want to condemn the growing level of political violence in this country, let's do it together.
That is not what this resolution does. What it does is it goes to great lengths to condemn attacks against anti-choice groups, and it says nothing about the growing threat of violence targeting women's health clinics across the United States.
It doesn't condemn the numerous bullets that have been fired at healthcare clinics throughout the country.
It doesn't condemn the bricks that have crashed through windows at providers' offices or the assaults, kidnappings, and even the murders of doctors and healthcare personnel.
It doesn't condemn the arsons, bombings, death threats, or any one of the more than 7,000 acts of violence that have been reported against these facilities.
By ignoring these acts of violence, Republicans are sending a very dangerous message that will only embolden the extremists behind them.
Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a resolution that Congresswomen Lee and Pressley and I have introduced to condemn all acts of political violence, regardless of their target or intent, and I urge my colleagues to support it instead.
Whereas workplace violence ranges from threats and verbal
abuse to physical assaults and homicide;
Whereas, for decades, health care personnel for women and
people who access reproductive health care services have been
subjected to intimidation, threats, and violence;
Whereas between 1977 and 2015--
(1) nearly 7,000 violent acts were reported against
providers at health centers for women, including bombings,
arsons, death threats, kidnappings, and assaults; and
(2) more than 190,000 acts of disruption, including bomb
threats and harassing calls, were reported;
Whereas, between 1993 and 2015, there were 11 murders,
numerous attempted murders, 42 bombings, and 186 arsons
targeted at individuals and facilities associated with care
provided at health centers for women;
Whereas between 1993 and 2015, the 11 victims of anti-
choice violence include Dr. David Gunn of Pensacola, Florida,
in 1993; Dr. John Bayard Britton and a volunteer, James
Barrett, both of Pensacola, Florida, in 1994; clinic
receptionists Shannon Lowney and Leanne Nichols, both of
Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1994; Dr. Barnett Slepian of
Buffalo, New York, in 1998; clinic securitv guard Robert
Sanderson of Birmingham, Alabama, in 1998; Dr. George Tiller
of Wichita, Kansas, in 2009; and police officer Garrett
Swasey, Ke'Arre Stewart, and Jennifer Markovsky, all of whom
were lost during a violent attack at a Planned Parenthood
clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2015;
Whereas, in 2016, two defendants vandalized a Baltimore,
Maryland, area abortion clinic on two separate occasions,
with one defendant pleading guilty and the other convicted at
trial of Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act
violations;
Whereas, in 2017, a defendant sent several threatening
emails to abortion clinics located in Chicago, Illinois, and
Hammond, Indiana, and the defendant pled guilty to FACE Act
and other Federal offenses;
Whereas, in 2018, a defendant directed a threatening social
media post to Planned Parenthood facilities and staff and
defendant pled guilty to Federal offenses, including a FACE
Act charge;
Whereas, in 2019, a defendant was indicted for FACE Act
violations and other Federal offenses related to a 2015
shooting at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado
Springs, Colorado, where he shot at several civilians and
police officers, killing two civilians and one officer, while
injuring several others;
Whereas, in 2020, a defendant pled guiltv to FACE Act
related offenses in connection with a bomb threat call the
defendant made to a Jacksonville, Florida, abortion clinic;
Whereas, in 2021, a defendant pled guilty to a FACE Act
violation and other State felony offenses for throwing a
Molotov cocktail at a Fort Myers, Florida, abortion clinic;
Whereas, in 2022, a defendant was indicted for FACE Act
violations after he assaulted a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
area Planned Parenthood clinic escort twice on the same date,
with one assault resulting in bodily injury; and
Whereas extreme rhetoric continues to fuel a hate-filled
climate that is dangerous for individuals who provide or
access comprehensive health care services: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns all acts of political violence;
(2) condemns attacks on health care facilities, health care
personnel, and patients;
(3) affirms that all people have the freedom to access
reproductive health care services and medical advice without
fear of violence, intimidation, or harassment; and
(4) calls upon the Biden administration to use all
appropriate authorities to uphold public safety, to protect
health care facilities, and safeguard health care personnel
and patients.
Madam Speaker, the resolved part of our resolution says this, and I think all of my colleagues should be able to join this.
Resolved, that the U.S. House of Representatives condemns all acts of political violence; 2, condemns attacks on healthcare facilities, healthcare personnel, and patients; and 3, affirms that all people have the freedom to access reproductive healthcare services
and medical advice without fear of violence, intimidation, or harassment.
Isn't that what this is all about in this country, fear from violence? No violence, everybody gets the healthcare services they want and they deserve without fear of being killed.
Madam Speaker, this is a solemn moment. I join my fellow colleagues, the women of the Democratic Caucus, to stand here because we stand in the name of those who have died: 11 murders, 42 bombings,…
Madam Speaker, this is a solemn moment. I join my fellow colleagues, the women of the Democratic Caucus, to stand here because we stand in the name of those who have died: 11 murders, 42 bombings, 196 arsons, 491 assaults, and thousands of incidents of criminal activity directed at our doctors, our nurses, and our patients.
After COVID-19, America woke up to the vitality and the necessity of our medical professionals, but I come here today to express my concern. I wish my friend from Louisiana had worked with my side of the aisle so that we would acknowledge that there has been loss of life of innocent persons who simply were providing medical care.
Dr. David Gunn was shot and killed by an opponent of abortion during a protest. A former pastor kills a doctor and clinic volunteer. George Tiller, twice a target, is killed.
This legislation is an extreme initiative because it is not here to acknowledge the solemnity of which we stand, first to recognize the constitutional right of a woman, her doctor, and her faith to be able to make a decision without fear and intimidation.
In a State like mine, we have vigilantism because it has passed legislation for bounty hunters to come back again from the 1800s to intimidate doctors, nurses, and patients.
This is a day that we must stand against. If we are to work together in this solemn moment, we must recognize all the doctors, nurses, and patients that have been intimidated.
The National Abortion Federation, in 2021, indicated that there has been an increase in violence. The significant increases in stalking, 600 percent; blockades, 450 percent; hoax devices/suspicious packages, 163 percent; invasions, 129 percent; and assault and battery, 128 percent.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to oppose this legislation. Maybe we can, in solemnity, work together on this serious issue.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 3, a concurrent resolution that expresses the sense of Congress condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.
It is critically important that we opposed the Republican effort to rewrite history in a way that demonizes the victims and glorifies the aggressors.
Each American has the right to make their own healthcare decisions according to their own beliefs values, and conscience.
Republicans hope to strip women of their constitutional right of autonomy over their own body and their right to make their own healthcare decisions.
In Texas, Republicans have incentivized vigilantism and stalking by passing a law that provides civilians a cause of action against anyone who performs or aids an abortion and provides for a $10,000 cash reward if successful.
This resolution ignores the long-documented history of violence against abortion providers, their staff, and their patients and attempts to rewrite the facts.
According to Bloomberg, a survey of 390 clinics showed that assaults on abortion providers surged 128 percent in 2021 with reports of kicking, slapping and being pepper sprayed.
The National Abortion Federation 2021 Violence & Disruption Report, found a massive increase in violence and disruption against abortion providers.
The most significant increases were in stalking (600 percent), blockades (450 percent), hoax devices/suspicious packages (163 percent), invasions (129 percent), and assault and battery (128 percent) compared to 2020.
Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit that tracks political violence and demonstrations, asserts that anti- government militias and extremist groups like the Proud Boys appearance at abortion related events spiked 160 percent in 2021, compared to the previous year.
Further, in 2020, far-right groups appeared at only 1 percent of demonstrations related to abortion rights; in 2022, almost one in five events involved members of a far-right group.
This violence, harassment, and cyberbullying against those who seek abortions, their providers, and supporters is unconscionable.
The American public made it clear last November that they want Congress to protect reproductive freedom.
We stand with all women, and staunchly reject the misinformation in this bill and its attempt to cover up the attacks on basic human dignity and constitutional rights.
I urge all my colleagues to oppose this outrageous and dangerous resolution.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of my commonsense legislation, H. Con. Res. 3. I am really proud that this bill has been included among our very first bills that will pass in this…
Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of my commonsense legislation, H. Con. Res. 3. I am really proud that this bill has been included among our very first bills that will pass in this Congress.
For Chairman Nadler, or Ranking Member Nadler now, I am happy to say, to stand here and suggest that this does not fulfill the will of the American people or is somehow not the right thing to do is absurd.
This resolution is very simple, and its language is clear. It condemns the attacks that have been committed against pro-life facilities, groups, and churches in the wake of the leak of the Dobbs opinion and the subsequent decision. It also calls upon the Biden administration to take action now to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Who could be opposed to that?
In recent years, there has been an alarming trend of more and more attacks on pro-life organizations and individuals. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, the problem became much worse. We have seen a significant increase in targeted violence against places and people who provide care for pregnant women and their unborn children.
Here are just a few of the more than 100 incidents that have taken place just in the last several months:
May 5, last year, a Catholic church and school in Armada, Michigan, was vandalized with satanic symbols and messages calling for the death of Republicans.
May 8, the Oregon Right to Life office was firebombed.
May 26, seven high school students in New Jersey were suspended after physically assaulting another student holding a pro-life sign.
June 26, a pro-abortion extremist was charged with attempted murder in Los Angeles.
July 7, Sacramento, a pregnancy care center was threatened by a man with a machete.
September 24, in Lake Odessa, Michigan, an elderly pro-life volunteer was shot while canvassing door to door to discuss an abortion ballot proposal.
January of this year, just several days ago, a pro-life billboard was defaced with the words ``kill them kids'' in Portland, Oregon.
This last one that I wanted to mention is personal to me. On July 11, pro-abortion activists vandalized the Women's New Life Clinic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They spray-painted anti-life messages on the walls. Being located right next to the abortion provider in Baton Rouge at the time, the largest in our State, this clinic has offered hope to countless pregnant women by counseling them on all of their options and not pushing them to abort their unborn children, as the clinics do.
I am proud to call many of the leaders of that clinic in Baton Rouge personal friends. We have to stand for them and stand against violence, vandalism, personal threats, and intimidation.
Nationwide, there are over 2,700 pregnancy care centers providing essential services in all 50 States. They serve millions of women every year. They have over 10,000 medical professionals supporting them. They do not deserve the treatment they have endured, and they certainly deserve that this Congress condemn the violence committed against them.
Since there has been so little accountability for the leaked draft Dobbs opinion and the ensuing violence and intimidation against pro- lifers that have followed, we are making the position of Congress clear today. We condemn violence, property damage, threats, and intimidation tactics, and these clear violations of Federal and State laws must be prosecuted.
We have the opportunity before us today to start to push back against the mob that has targeted the groups and individuals that care for women and their unborn children. Republicans are ready to act. I am so proud that over
100--I think nearly 130--Republicans so far have cosponsored this.
It will pass, and it should, and it will be a shame if our Democratic colleagues do not join us in this condemnation of violence. The question is, will they?
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the resolution.
Madam Speaker, first, I would like to note what is profound hypocrisy going on in this Chamber. Last week, we heard from the Republicans about the importance of an open process and the ability to…
Madam Speaker, first, I would like to note what is profound hypocrisy going on in this Chamber.
Last week, we heard from the Republicans about the importance of an open process and the ability to offer amendments on all bills or resolutions, but there were no hearings on this resolution, no markups, and amendments are prohibited.
If they were allowed, we could have discussed, and Mr. Jordan could have made his statement that he believes the Justice Department says this would affect all types of facilities, but we didn't have that, so it is not here.
Every Democrat, and I hope every Republican, rejects and condemns political violence. We settle our disagreements at the ballot box and through the rule of law, not by violent actions.
Republicans say this resolution is about condemning violence and enforcement of laws, yet it only condemns those of their favorite organizations and facilities, the pro-life crowd.
They should be aghast that they don't include the murders of the 11 people killed at abortion care providers since 1993:
Dr. George Tiller, killed entering his church in Wichita, Kansas, shot in the back;
David Gunn, shot in the head at his clinic in Pensacola, Florida;
Just this past New Year's in Knoxville, a Planned Parenthood clinic was destroyed by arson.
Sadly, there are too many property crimes at Planned Parenthood and other facilities that help people with abortion needs to mention. None are mentioned. We should condemn all murders and serious violence.
This House did not hear from Republicans condemning the violence of January 6 when this Chamber was under attack, and we should do that in all cases.
They are trying to undermine and obstruct the Department of Justice, as well. This is just some of the other hypocrisy. They are having a committee to look into the attacks on America from the FBI, the Justice Department, and other security services. Those are law enforcement. That is defunding Federal law enforcement, and it is wrong. We should support all law enforcement and fund all of it and its activities.
If you want to know about the Republicans, you ask them about the bill on the IRS. If they wanted to help the middle class, they would have brought a resolution to direct the IRS to do more audits, or even all of its audits, on people earning over $1 million and save the middle class and get the money where it is. They did not.
We should listen to what they do, not what they say. I will vote ``no.''
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 3, which condemns the epidemic of attacks on pro-life and faith-based organizations. Unfortunately, Michigan's Fifth District has not escaped…
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 3, which condemns the epidemic of attacks on pro-life and faith-based organizations.
Unfortunately, Michigan's Fifth District has not escaped these attacks. Last June, Jane's Revenge vandals graffitied and smashed the windows of Jackson, Michigan's Right to Life and my own office. It was a despicable act. The Jane's Revenge perpetrator, who has yet to be caught, even accidentally graffitied a neighbor's house, as well.
Yet, this darkness presented an opportunity to show the best of our community. Volunteers from the community came out to clean up the broken glass and help board up the windows.
In contrast to this positivity displayed by everyday Americans, and despite congressional efforts we have spearheaded, President Biden's Justice Department has stayed silent on these acts of domestic terrorism.
Today, congressional Democrats have an opportunity to right the wrongs of this administration and join us in condemning these acts of violence as we condemn all acts of violence, as well.
Volunteers at pregnancy centers who remain committed to their convictions and efforts understand they have a target on their backs. These volunteers are individuals spending their time and their money to clothe, feed, provide
shelter, and minister to women in crisis.
Is this the progressive America my colleagues talk about? I think not. Does their idea of progress consist of political violence targeting those who provide services to women and families? Are intimidation and violence acceptable to the Biden administration and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle? I hope not.
Madam Speaker, I strongly urge support for this resolution for the benefit of lives, security, and decency in our country.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. Being a mother is the greatest gift in the world, and childbirth is a true miracle of God. In 2019, pregnancy centers served roughly 2 million…
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution.
Being a mother is the greatest gift in the world, and childbirth is a true miracle of God.
In 2019, pregnancy centers served roughly 2 million women, men, and youth. They provided services such as medical care, education, mentoring, and material support like diapers, car seats, and clothing.
From 2016 through 2020, pro-life pregnancy centers partnered with pregnant women at risk for abortion to save over 800,000 lives. Approximately 75 percent of women at risk for abortion who view an ultrasound of their baby in the womb at a pregnancy center ultimately make the choice to continue their pregnancy.
Merrick Garland calls parents who want to protect their kids from sexual indoctrination in schools domestic terrorists but refuses to protect facilities that help pregnant women carry their babies from being attacked by far-left extremists.
Since the Dobbs decision was leaked in May 2022 alone, approximately 40 churches and 60 pro-life pregnancy centers have been firebombed and vandalized across the country by pro-murder extremists. The costs of damages for each attack range from less than $100 to more than $250,000. Shameful.
Some of the things they have said--they have spray-painted on a church in Lansing, Michigan, ``abort the court'' and ``death to Christian nationalism.'' Death for Christians that care about our country? I don't think so.
They also caused $50,000 in damages in Bethesda, Maryland, setting fire to three churches. It is shameful.
Jane's Revenge, which is a terrorist group, said: ``If abortion isn't safe neither are you.''
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution.
Madam Speaker, as chair of the Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, I rise to make plain exactly what is going on here. This is not a debate about political violence. Political violence and the…
Madam Speaker, as chair of the Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, I rise to make plain exactly what is going on here. This is not a debate about political violence. Political violence and the violent rhetoric that drives it is a persistent threat; my staff, my family, and I know that intimately. Everyone should condemn it.
Our colleagues across the aisle continue to say the quiet part out loud in their selective contempt for political violence.
This resolution seeks to deny necessary medical care from those who seek it. Abortion is healthcare and a fundamental human right.
Across the Nation, those seeking care are met with intimidation, violence, and even loss of life. Imagine walking through a screaming crowd to get to a medical appointment. Imagine being a doctor or a nurse dedicating your life to helping others, and day after day your workplace receives violent threats, and you fear for your life.
But that is not what the other side of the aisle is concerned about. No, today, they are seeking to mislead the American people. They are trying to conjure up hateful rhetoric, spreading misinformation about crisis pregnancy centers.
Let me make it plain. Crisis pregnancy centers are no place to go for reproductive healthcare. They are sham clinics that coerce folks seeking to terminate a pregnancy or to access the full range of reproductive health services.
Madam Speaker, to those pressing these divisive anti- choice resolutions, we see right through you.
Madam Speaker, abortion is healthcare and a fundamental human right, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
Madam Speaker, I agree with my friend from Colorado that we should condemn all violence. We should condemn violence to unborn children, also, but that doesn't seem to be something that is shared on…
Madam Speaker, I agree with my friend from Colorado that we should condemn all violence. We should condemn violence to unborn children, also, but that doesn't seem to be something that is shared on the other side of aisle.
One of the pregnancy centers that was targeted last year was Life Choices Pregnancy Medical Center located in my home State and at the time in my district in Colorado. On June 25 at 3:17 a.m., first responders responded to a fire at the pregnancy center. The fire was the result of angry protestors acting out after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. Not much was salvageable from the fire, but what remained were hateful and extreme messages graffitied on the exterior of the building.
Kathy Roberts, the executive director of Life Choices, is here today to commemorate passage of this resolution. I am honored to have Kathy here and to introduce this brave and dedicated woman.
I thank Kathy for being here.
Sadly, our Nation has become all too familiar with the violent attacks on pro-life centers. In 2022, over 100 pro-life centers were violently attacked, and there has been minimal accountability. Instead of Democrats accepting the Supreme Court Dobbs decision and condemning this violence, they have egged it on, including some who told pro- abortion protestors to rise up and commended their violence by stating it was a way for individuals to channel their righteous anger into meaningful action.
Our Nation is a Nation of law and order, and violence is never the path we should pursue to create effective change.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the dangerous measures that House Republicans are bringing to a vote in this Chamber as part of their ongoing efforts to end a woman's right to choose…
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the dangerous measures that House Republicans are bringing to a vote in this Chamber as part of their ongoing efforts to end a woman's right to choose and inserting politics unnecessarily and wrongly into the doctor-patient relationship, denying abortion care to women, stigmatizing women who get abortions, and putting at risk the doctors who simply are doing their jobs by caring for them. All while ignoring the threats that abortion providers and patients face daily.
The American people sent a clear message during the midterms: Politicians have no place in our personal medical decisions.
House Republicans refuse to listen. Instead of protecting and expanding reproductive healthcare and women's rights, they are making it their first order of business to use their power to control women's bodies and their future.
I condemn violence in all of its forms. This resolution condemns only some violence and very intentionally omits violence like the murder of health professionals, against abortion providers, patients and their families. Maybe they don't regard murder as violence.
This comes at the same time as women's rights are under attack. This nonbinding resolution is meant to only divide and distract and will do nothing to actually reduce violence.
I urge my colleagues to oppose these biased bills and continue to stand up and speak out for what is right.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution before us here. Last year, a draft Supreme Court opinion was leaked to the media in one of the biggest scandals to ever hit the Nation's highest…
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution before us here.
Last year, a draft Supreme Court opinion was leaked to the media in one of the biggest scandals to ever hit the Nation's highest court. It reestablished the authority of States to prohibit the killing of unborn children, sending the Democratic Party and other leftwing extremists off the deep end.
The liberal brush fire that ignited after the opinion was leaked wasn't contained to just Washington. Pregnancy centers and pro-life organizations across the country soon became the target of their rage.
The chairman said it very well in his opening comments when he cited the situation in Madison, Wisconsin: ``If abortions aren't safe then you aren't either.'' That is what it says right here.
Following the attack, a radical pro-abortion group known as Jane's Revenge took credit, proudly proclaiming ``this was only a warning'' and ``next time the infrastructure of the enslavers will not survive.''
Leftwing extremists have shown us time and time again--first, during the summer of 2020 when they burned American businesses to the ground and then by firebombing pregnancy centers in 2022--that they will resort to violence and destruction when they do not get their way.
Unfortunately, there has been very little accountability for the leaked draft opinion.
This resolution makes it clear that violence needs to stop.
Madam Speaker, I strongly oppose violence and destruction of property regardless of venue. The resolution on the floor today, however, is a distraction from the real issue regarding crisis pregnancy…
Madam Speaker, I strongly oppose violence and destruction of property regardless of venue.
The resolution on the floor today, however, is a distraction from the real issue regarding crisis pregnancy centers, which is that they regularly provide inaccurate, incomplete, and injurious information to people who are seeking guidance and fact-based healthcare.
Crisis pregnancy centers often engage in deceptive advertising to get people in the door, and then they mislead them about the services they provide.
A crisis pregnancy center in Texas, for example, was caught telling people that abortions cause mental illness and implied that abortions cause cancer
and infertility. I heard from someone who visited a crisis pregnancy center, and after she left she started getting calls from strangers who were told about her visit. Another woman was shown an ultrasound picture of her kidney and was told it was a baby.
This deception is unconscionable, which is why I will soon introduce the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act to direct the Federal Trade Commission to issue rules prohibiting unfair or deceptive advertising of abortion services.
At a time when reproductive rights are under attack, it is especially important for anyone seeking abortion care to be able to find a real healthcare provider they can trust who will respect their bodily autonomy and their privacy.
Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, for his strong defense of life, for the precious unborn, and for promoting a culture of life at all times. I…
Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, for his strong defense of life, for the precious unborn, and for promoting a culture of life at all times.
I stand, Madam Speaker, in support of H. Con. Res. 3, expressing the sense of Congress condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.
There have been now nearly 100 recorded acts of violence and intimidation against pro-life individuals and organizations by radical pro-abortion activists since the initial leak of the draft Supreme Court Dobbs opinion.
Following the leak and issuance of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, anti-life fanatics have targeted, destroyed, or vandalized, as I said, over 100 pro-life facilities, groups, and churches to further their radical cause.
Pro-life pregnancy centers nationwide play a critical and important role in supporting and assisting pregnant women, their children, and their families.
Because the Biden Justice Department refuses to protect these vital resource centers, Congress must be clear in condemning the violence against pro-life facilities.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to stand against violence and to support H. Con. Res. 3.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, which condemns the wave of attacks on pro-life groups and facilities. As a Nation, we are blessed to have a nationwide network of faithful,…
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, which condemns the wave of attacks on pro-life groups and facilities.
As a Nation, we are blessed to have a nationwide network of faithful, dedicated pro-life pregnancy centers that provide care for pregnant women and their babies.
Women deserve to be offered the full range of health support that can help them in their time of need. Pro-life pregnancy centers do exactly that, offering a compassionate support system for pregnant women.
Shamefully, since the Dobbs decision was rendered, these pregnancy centers have been under attack by radical abortion activists. We have seen horrific displays of vandalism, threats, and intimidation directed at pro-life groups and facilities for the simple fact that they support life and serve to help pregnant mothers in need.
No one is forced to receive care at a pregnancy center, yet we see people committing violence on pregnancy centers. Why? Are they angry that so many choose to not terminate the life of their own baby and let their child live, like all of your mothers did, rather than violently terminate the life of their own baby?
Madam Speaker, I ask Congress to stand together and strongly condemn this violence by passing this resolution.
Madam Speaker, two women spoke at a pregnancy care center dinner I attended in New Jersey. Both women were effusive in their thanks that the director had approached them in absolute kindness and…
Madam Speaker, two women spoke at a pregnancy care center dinner I attended in New Jersey.
Both women were effusive in their thanks that the director had approached them in absolute kindness and empathy as they were literally walking from the parking lot to an abortion clinic. They changed their minds and were helped through their pregnancies and after the birth of their children, as well.
Later in the program, two young, teenaged girls spoke of the sanctity of life and the good work of the pregnancy care center. In a very dramatic moment from the podium--because they were standing side by side--they turned to the director, thanked her, and said that had she not reached out to their moms that day and followed up with such love and compassion, both of them would have been dead.
Pregnancy care centers across the country have suffered a surge of violent attacks, firebombing and vandalism by pro-abortion activists in a coordinated effort to intimidate frontline volunteers and licensed medical professionals providing critical support to mothers in need and their unborn baby girls and boys.
Now more than ever the Biden administration and law enforcement needs to enforce the law.
Madam Speaker, it is time for our Republican colleagues to stop playing politics with women's bodies. With the fall of Roe, the criminalization of abortion access nationwide with no exceptions is…
Madam Speaker, it is time for our Republican colleagues to stop playing politics with women's bodies.
With the fall of Roe, the criminalization of abortion access nationwide with no exceptions is well underway.
Just last year in my home State of Florida, Governor DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into law that offers no exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking, and more restrictive policies are coming.
Other States are even more restrictive, and the bill and resolution before us will further erode women's reproductive rights. These measures incentivize violence by failing to condemn a history of violence against abortion providers and patients.
While millions of Americans will lose under these measures, its harshest impacts land on single, working, and women of color.
A lack of access to safe abortions not only deprives a woman of the basic right to control her own body, but it also stifles her future economic, educational, and family planning opportunities. It basically hands her body, life, and future over to the State.
These horrific anti-abortion measures are a revolting assault on women's rights, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on both measures.
Madam Speaker, we heard the word ``shameful'' a lot during this debate, but what is really shameful is the fact that my Democratic colleagues and I are willing to both say we condemn all violence and…
Madam Speaker, we heard the word ``shameful'' a lot during this debate, but what is really shameful is the fact that my Democratic colleagues and I are willing to both say we condemn all violence and also put it on paper.
With my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, all we hear is talk. They are not willing to condemn all violence in this resolution.
It is a one-sided resolution meant to fan the flames of anti-abortion and anti-freedom sentiment in this country.
See, my district in central Florida sees these sentiments in action as our Governor has passed an abortion ban and looks to go even further.
As someone whose birth mother made the brave and difficult decision to put me up for adoption, I recognize that that decision was deeply personal and can often mark one of the most vulnerable points in a person's life. No one should take advantage of that, and the Federal Government should actually protect it.
I will continue to fight for civil rights, personal freedom, and bodily autonomy of women and childbearing adults in this country, and I hope the rest of this Chamber will join me in voting ``no.''
Madam Speaker, I join my Democratic colleagues in opposing, on the strongest terms, all forms of political violence. That is something that this resolution fails to do. This resolution fails to…
Madam Speaker, I join my Democratic colleagues in opposing, on the strongest terms, all forms of political violence.
That is something that this resolution fails to do. This resolution fails to acknowledge decades of well-documented violence against reproductive healthcare providers in this country. In failing to do so, it fails us all.
I have seen that violence firsthand. More than 30 years ago, when I was a teenager, I stood in defense of our local Planned Parenthood as anti-abortion protesters tried to chain themselves to the doors to prevent women from going in not only to get abortion care but to get their Pap smears, their birth control, HIV tests, and other services. A few years later, a well-known anti-abortion activist drove a van through the same door of that same Planned Parenthood.
Like I said, I welcome the opportunity to vote on legislation that condemns all forms of political violence, but the resolution's purposeful omission of abortion providers and patients, and what that suggests, is why I am voting ``no'' today, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the bill before us today. While I strongly condemn violence and vandalism in any form, the bill before us neglects to address the real crisis facing Americans…
Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the bill before us today.
While I strongly condemn violence and vandalism in any form, the bill before us neglects to address the real crisis facing Americans today, which is the loss of reproductive rights for millions of Americans in the blink of an eye since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade last summer.
Madam Speaker, 8 in 10 Americans support the legal right to abortion, something that has been seen over and over again in poll after poll, in election after election. This resolution is an attempt to muddy the waters and distract the public from the fact that those on the other side of the aisle support a national abortion ban, regardless of which State you live in.
In fact, it was abortion providers who faced significant increases in stalking, invasions, and assault and battery as a result of the Dobbs decision.
I cannot support this resolution, which conveniently leaves out the majority of the victims of this type of political violence. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
Madam Speaker, as co-chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus, I rise in opposition to H. Con. Res. 3. Of course, we condemn all political violence, whether it is aimed at those we agree with or disagree with.…
Madam Speaker, as co-chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus, I rise in opposition to H. Con. Res. 3.
Of course, we condemn all political violence, whether it is aimed at those we agree with or disagree with.
These acts are all unacceptable, full stop. Hate speech quickly becomes hate violence. In a democracy, violence is particularly awful when it is designed to silence or intimidate.
Where were my colleagues every single time a doctor, a patient, a nurse, or a security officer was threatened, assaulted, or murdered just for providing, accessing, and safeguarding reproductive healthcare?
Congresswoman DeGette, Congresswoman Pressley, and I have drafted a resolution that condemns all attacks upon healthcare facilities, healthcare personnel, and patients.
Every act of hate-fueled violence is worthy of condemnation, including those against Planned Parenthood clinics, abortion providers and patients, and other care providers.
We stand with survivors of those attacks. We condemn all of them, and our GOP colleagues should do so, as well.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution condemning the recent attacks on pro-life groups, facilities, and churches. Last summer, in a landmark decision, the United States Supreme…
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution condemning the recent attacks on pro-life groups, facilities, and churches.
Last summer, in a landmark decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of my home State of Mississippi in returning decisions on protecting life to the States.
Unfortunately, the leak of the Dobbs decision led to instances of extremism committed against churches, pro-life institutions, and crisis pregnancy centers.
Sadly, my home State was not spared. Mississippi has a robust network of crisis pregnancy centers that provide care and resources to expectant mothers.
I, and many of my Republican colleagues, have called on the Biden administration to address these criminal acts and hold accountable those who committed these offenses. To date, no action has been taken.
I am hopeful that this legislation will move the administration to act, and I am grateful that the Republican majority is standing with those impacted by last year's extremist acts.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H. Con. Res. 3. This resolution is further proof of my colleagues' hypocrisy and their obsession with controlling a woman's inherent right to bodily…
Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H. Con. Res. 3.
This resolution is further proof of my colleagues' hypocrisy and their obsession with controlling a woman's inherent right to bodily autonomy.
This resolution ignores the long-documented history of violence against abortion providers, their staff, and their patients.
Violence is what Amanda Eid from Texas suffered when doctors could not induce labor after her amniotic fluid was leaking. Her doctors were prohibited from providing the treatment she urgently needed because of Texas' anti-abortion laws. Amanda's life will forever be changed, and that is the real violence.
The American people are overwhelmingly in support of protecting reproductive freedom. Women and the American people across this Nation have spoken loud and clear. They do not want the government interfering with their reproductive healthcare.
On behalf of all women in my district and across this country, I oppose this extreme resolution.
Madam Speaker, one of the scary, ongoing stories over the last few years, more typical of an atheistic totalitarian regime than our wonderful constitutional Republic, has been a tax on pregnancy…
Madam Speaker, one of the scary, ongoing stories over the last few years, more typical of an atheistic totalitarian regime than our wonderful constitutional Republic, has been a tax on pregnancy counseling centers.
They are hated because they try to persuade women to keep their babies, and they articulate how precious life is in the womb, which is considered to be dangerous speech to those who desperately want to legalize 8-month abortions.
Some of these attacks, like those in other venues by antifa and Black Lives Matter have become more physical in nature.
The lack of urgency by law enforcement to protect the speech of those who want women to keep their children is dangerous. This effort to muzzle those who express a wide variety of conservative Christian viewpoints has become more and more common and should scare anyone who does not want to live in a religiously hostile, large government State.
Please vote for H. Con. Res. 3.
Latest available legislative text
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IV
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 3
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
January 7 (legislative day, January 6), 2023
RESOLUTION
That a committee of two Members be appointed by the Speaker on the part of the House of Representatives to join with a committee on the part of the Senate to notify the President of the United States that a quorum of each House has assembled and Congress is ready to receive any communication that he may be pleased to make.
Cheryl L. Johnson,
Clerk.
