Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22) spoke on the House floor today to address H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which claims to limit taxpayer funding of abortion despite the fact that there is no federal taxpayer funding of abortion right now.

For the video of Frankel’s remarks click here and below please find her remarks as prepared for delivery on the House floor.

Today, on the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we should be celebrating it – not dismantling it. I heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk about pain. Well you want to know about pain?

I think back in horror to the perils for our mothers, daughters, and sisters in the days before the Supreme Court ruled that women have a Constitutional right to make our own personal healthcare decisions.

Back then, our country faced a public health crisis as women were maimed, made sterile, and lost their lives as a result of self-inflicted or illegal abortions. I remember finding a friend who was near death as a result of a back alley procedure.

Since Roe v Wade, state after state, including Florida, has passed onerous laws criminalizing doctors, requiring unnecessary tests, and other insidious obstructions to prevent access to abortion. Today, Congress again piles on to the damage hurting the poorest of our citizens.

Here’s a much better way to make lives better for our children – that’s to allow their mothers to live full, productive lives and instead of this bill, pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to ensure that no matter where a women lives she has access to the resources needed to make her own health care decisions.

We cannot – and will not – go back!

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