The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“48TH ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE” mentioning Benjamin L. Cardin was published in the Senate section on pages S164-S165 on Jan. 27.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
48TH ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, this week is the 48th annual March for Life. It is an event when thousands of Americans come together to advocate for the value and protection of unborn human life.
They will be coming together this year differently than they have for almost 50 years, but for almost 50 years, millions of people have marched to Capitol Hill to try to build a culture wherein every human life is valued and every human life is protected. That includes tireless women and men and children from my home State of Missouri who come to Washington, both individually and along with the Missouri Life Caravan, every year. It will be the first year in a long time I haven't spoken to that group in person, but as they meet virtually, their cause is still as resonant as it is in person.
I know that Missourians will continue to advocate for life. They will continue to remember the unborn and those whom we have lost from abortion. This year's theme of the march is ``Together Strong: Life Unites!'' It is a pretty hard theme to argue with no matter how you feel about this particular topic. ``Unity'' doesn't mean believing the same thing about everything, but it does mean agreeing about one very important thing in terms of this event, and that important thing, of course, is the value and protection of life.
This belief in life cuts across religion. It cuts across party lines. It cuts across geographic boundaries. People and organizations from all religious backgrounds--and even those who have no religious affiliations--are part of the pro-life movement, and they oppose abortion in almost all cases. Polling shows that more than a third of Democrats in America support protections for life, and there are groups dedicated to showing that pro-life is not a partisan issue. Frankly, that is a move in the right direction to where you don't feel like you are included in one party or excluded from one party because of your view on this issue.
Last year's Geneva Consensus Declaration brought together more than 30 countries to promote women's health and strengthen the family, including the preservation of human life. We need to do everything we can to save the lives of babies and of mothers. Maternity mortality is a big problem in our country and around the world. It has become a focus of the Congress in recent years and needs to continue to be. Even though the issue of life so often is polarized in the U.S. Congress, I am still encouraged that we see a powerful commitment, over and over, to protect the unborn and how that breaks through in other areas outside of the Congress. For the past 4 years, we have seen an unprecedented advance in the protections for the unborn in State legislatures.
In the next few years, we can expect to see efforts to try to move things in another direction, to weaken or remove life protections in, for instance, the title X family planning program or in our foreign aid programs. There is a well-funded effort to abandon even the longstanding Hyde amendment, which prevents taxpayer funding of abortion or abortion coverage in Federal healthcare programs.
As the chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee, I oversaw the yearly renewal of the Hyde amendment, which has been included in that bill for the past 40 years. Now I won't be the chairman of that committee in this Congress, but I will still be fighting to see that we maintain this area where there has been great consensus that went beyond political parties.
I will continue to support and advocate for the Hyde amendment and for permanent Federal protections for the unborn through legislation like the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, among other things.
Although the pro-life movement can expect challenges in this Congress, there are still many signs that one day we will succeed in creating a culture where every human life is valued and protected. For now, however, I want to thank the men, women, and children who dedicate their time and talents to making this happen, who today are marching virtually as they join together to talk about this important cause and remember the theme of this year, which is ``Together Strong: Life Unites!''
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Rosen). The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________
Alerts Sign-up