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.
“ABORTION” mentioning Steve Daines was published in the Senate section on page S191 on Jan. 28.
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:
ABORTION
Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, tomorrow is the 48th annual March for Life. Although this year's march will primarily be virtual, the importance of standing together to protect the unborn, the most vulnerable, and all life, is as important now as it has ever been.
Forty-eight years ago, our country started down a dark path. Forty-
eight years ago, the Supreme Court tragically ruled in Roe v. Wade, and since then, we have lost the lives of 62 million people--62 million and counting--unborn babies, precious lives, by abortion.
I believe every human being is born with God-given dignity and potential. No court, no legislature, no law can take that away. Nevertheless, today, babies with Down syndrome are the most endangered on Earth.
For me, this is very personal. Just under 3 years ago, our world was blessed with a sweet baby boy named Andrew. He has Down's. His parents are very close friends. Andrew is a true joy, and his family celebrates his life every single day. Our world truly would not be the same without him.
But in the United States, 67 percent--67 percent--of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted, two out of three. For every person with Down syndrome alive today that you know or you meet--our friends, our family members, loved ones--two more are gone from this world because of abortion. This is chilling.
In Europe, the numbers are even worse. In fact, in Iceland, because of abortion, the population of individuals with Down syndrome is virtually being eradicated. As prenatal screenings increase in availability, mothers frequently learn before birth if their baby has Down syndrome. Rather than giving supportive resources, these vulnerable moms are often pressured to abort the baby. We all too often hear of a false compassion that it would be better for unborn babies with Down Syndrome or other disabilities to not be brought into this world rather than live a life that might be different from other children. But that is not who we are as Americans.
I am deeply concerned that for babies born with Down syndrome, abortion has become ``a tool of modern day eugenics,'' as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has said. It pains me to think about it.
But we can't just think about this pain and the pain that it causes. We have to do something. We have to protect those precious lives at all costs. It is the duty of this body to end this injustice. That is why I am joining my colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Inhofe, in introducing the Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act, which will prohibit abortions that are sought because of a diagnosis that an unborn child has or may have Down syndrome.
This effort has the overwhelming support of the American public. In fact, just yesterday, a new Knights of Columbus-Marist poll found that 70 percent of Americans oppose aborting a child on the basis that the child will be born with Down syndrome--70 percent. In fact, that includes over half of those who identify as pro-choice.
This issue also sadly exposes a terrible hypocrisy we are seeing among supporters of abortion on demand. In fact, today, most Republicans and Democrats here in Congress are unified in their support for the Special Olympics and for protecting individuals with disabilities. Yet many of my colleagues across the aisle will oppose this commonsense legislation to stop the most lethal kind of discrimination imaginable, and that is being singled out and brutally killed because of a Down syndrome diagnosis. It is shameful.
As Henry Hyde famously said: ``The promise of America is not just for the privileged, the planned and the perfect.''
It is our duty to protect every innocent life, no matter how small, no matter how many chromosomes they may have.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
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