Trent Franks

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I stand once again before this body with yet another Sunset Memorial. It is February 28, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and before the sunset today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand--just today. That is more than the number of innocent American lives that were lost on September 11th, only it happens every day. It has now been exactly 12,820 days since the travesty called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million of our own children. Some of them, Mr. Speaker, cried and screamed as they died, but because it was amniotic fluid passing over their vocal cords instead of air, we couldn't hear them. All of them had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. Each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to a blind, invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own silent genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Mr. Speaker, perhaps it is important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' Mr. Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The bedrock foundation of this Republic is that clarion Declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet Mr. Speaker, another day has passed, and we in this body have failed again to honor that foundational commitment. We failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more innocent American babies who died today without the protection we should have given them. But perhaps tonight, Mr. Speaker, maybe someone new who hears this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill little babies, that it hurts mothers in ways that we can never express, and that 12,820 days spent killing nearly 50 million unborn children in America is enough; and that the America that rejected human slavery and marched into Europe to arrest the Nazi Holocaust, is still courageous and compassionate enough to find a better way for mothers and their babies than abortion on demand. So tonight, Mr. Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are also numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on yet another day to come, may that be the day when we finally hear the cries of the innocent unborn. May that be the day we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. It is February 28, 2008--12,820 days since Roe v. Wade first stained the foundation of this Nation with the blood of its own children--this, in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, I stand once again before this body with yet another Sunset Memorial. It is February 27, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and before the sun sets today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children will have been killed by abortion on demand, just today. That is more than the number of innocent American lives lost on September 11, only it happens every day. It has now been exactly 12,819 days since the travesty called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million of its own children. Some of them cried and screamed as they died, but because it was amniotic fluid passing over their vocal cords instead of air, we couldn't hear them. All of them had at least four things in common: They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. Each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to a blind, invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own silent genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Madam Speaker, perhaps it's important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' The 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says, ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' Protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. The bedrock foundation of this Republic is that clarion declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. Yet, Madam Speaker, another day has passed, and we in this body have failed again to honor that foundational commitment. We failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more innocent American babies who died today without the protection we should have given them. But perhaps tonight, Madam Speaker, maybe someone new who hears this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill little babies, that it hurts mothers in ways that can never be expressed, and that 12,819 days spent killing nearly 50 million unborn children in America is enough, and that the America that rejected human slavery and marched into Europe to arrest the Nazi Holocaust is still courageous and compassionate enough to find a better way for mothers and their unborn children than abortion on demand. So tonight, Madam Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on yet another day to come, may that be the day when we finally hear the cries of the innocent unborn. May that be the day when we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. It is February 27, 2008, 12,819 days since Roe v. Wade first stained the foundation of this Nation with the blood of its own children. This, in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I stand once again before this body with yet another sunset memorial. It is February 26, 2008, in the land of the free, home of the brave; and before the sun sets today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand. That's just today, Mr. Speaker. That is more than the number of innocent Americans that we lost on September 11, only it happens every day. It has now been exactly 12,818 days since the travesty called Roe v. Wade was handed down; and since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million of its own children. Some of them cried and screamed as they died; but because it was amniotic fluid passing over the vocal cords instead of air, we could not hear them in this Chamber. All of them had at least four things in common: first, they were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. Second, each one of them died a nameless and lonely death and each of their mothers, whether she realizes it or not, will never be quite the same. And all of the gifts these children might have brought to humanity are now lost to us forever. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blind, invincible ignorance while history repeats itself in our own silent genocide which mercilessly annihilates the most helpless victims to date, those yet unborn. Mr. Speaker, perhaps it's important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said: ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' Mr. Speaker, protecting the lives of our citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The bedrock foundation of this Republic is that clarion declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet, Mr. Speaker, another day has passed, and we in this body have failed again to honor that foundational commitment. We failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more innocent American babies who died today without the protection we should have given them. Perhaps today, Mr. Speaker, maybe someone new who hears this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill little babies, that it hurts mothers in ways that we can never express, and that 12,818 days spent killing nearly 50 million unborn children is enough and that America, the same America that rejected human slavery and marched into Europe to arrest the Nazi Holocaust, is still courageous enough, compassionate enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So tonight may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this Chamber and in this sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each one of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on yet another day to come, may that be the day when we finally hear the cries of the innocent unborn, may that be the day when we finally find the humanity, the courage and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. It is February 26, 2008, Mr. Speaker, 12,818 days since Roe v. Wade first stained the foundation of this Nation with the blood of its own children, and this is in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, I once again stand before this body with yet another sunset memorial. It is February 25, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and before the sun set in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand just today. That is more than the number of innocent Americans lost in September 11's tragedy, only it happens every day. Madam Speaker, it has now been exactly 12,817 days since the travesty called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million of its own children. Some of them, Madam Speaker, cried and screamed as they died, but because it was amniotic fluid passing over the vocal cords instead of air, we couldn't hear them. All of them had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. Each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Yet, even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to a blind invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own silent genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims yet to date, those unborn. Madam Speaker, perhaps it's important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said: ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' Madam Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The bedrock foundation of this Republic is that clarion declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet, Madam Speaker, another day has passed and we in this body have failed again to honor that foundational commitment. We've failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more innocent American babies who died today without the protection we should have given them. But perhaps tonight, Madam Speaker, maybe someone who hears this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill little babies, and that it hurts mothers in ways that we can never express, and that 12,817 days spent killing nearly 50 million unborn children in America is enough, and that America, that same America that rejected human slavery and marched into Europe to arrest the Nazi Holocaust is still courageous and compassionate enough to find a better way for mothers and their babies than abortion on demand. So tonight, Madam Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are also numbered, and that all too soon each one of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on yet another day to come, may that be the day when we finally hear the cries of the innocent unborn. May that be the day when we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty, to protect these, the least of our tiny little brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge called abortion on demand. It is February 25, 2008, Madam Speaker, 12,817 days since Roe v. Wade first stained the foundation of this Nation with the blood of its own children. This in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 45 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I stand once again before this body with another sunset memorial. It is February 14, 2008, Valentine's Day, in the land of the free and the home of the brave. And before the sunset today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand. That's just today, Mr. Speaker. That is more than the number of innocent lives that America lost on September 11, only it happens every day. It has now been exactly 12,806 days since the tragic judicial fiat of Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million of America's own children. Some of them, Mr. Speaker, cried and screamed as they died, but because it was amniotic fluid passing over the vocal cords instead of air, we couldn't hear them. And all of them had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone, and each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their other mothers, whether she realizes it or not, will never quite be the same. And all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Yet, even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own silent genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Mr. Speaker, perhaps it's more important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' Mr. Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says, ``No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the declaration, not the casual notion, but the declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And every conflict our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the whole world. It is who we are. And yet, Mr. Speaker, another day has passed, and we in this body have failed again to honor that commitment. We failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more innocent American babies who died without the protection that we should have given them. But perhaps tonight, Mr. Speaker, maybe just one someone new who has heard this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers in ways that we could never express, and that 12,806 days spent killing nearly 50 million children in America is enough, and that this Nation is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So, Mr. Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered, and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on yet other day to come, may that be the day when we hear, when we finally hear the cries of the unborn. May that be the day when we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. Mr. Speaker, it is February 14, 2008, 12,806 days since Roe v. Wade first stained the foundation of this Nation with the blood of its own children. This, on Valentine's Day, in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS

Mr. FRANKS. Madam Speaker, I stand once again before this body with another Sunset Memorial. It is February 14, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and before the sun set today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand--just today. That is more than the number of innocent American lives that we lost on September 11th, only it happens every day. It has now been exactly 12,806 days since the tragic judicial fiat called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million of our own children. Some of them, Madam Speaker, cried and screamed as they died, but because it was amniotic fluid passing over their vocal cords instead of air, we couldn't hear them. And all of them had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. Each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own silent genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Madam Speaker, perhaps it is important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' Madam Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the declaration, not the casual notion, but the declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet Madam Speaker, another day has passed, and we in this body have failed again to honor that commitment. We failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more innocent American babies who died without the protection we should have been giving them. But perhaps tonight, Madam Speaker, maybe someone new who heard this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers in ways that we can never express, and that 12,806 days spent killing nearly 50 million unborn children in America is enough; and that this Nation is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So tonight, Madam Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on yet another day to come, may that be the day when we hear the cries of the unborn at last. May that be the day we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. It is February 14, 2008--12,806 days since Roe v. Wade first stained the foundation of this Nation with the blood of its own children--this, in the land of free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 44 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 43, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, I stand once again before this body with another Sunset Memorial. It is February 13, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and before the sun set today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand--just today. That is more than the number of innocent American lives that we lost on September 11th, only it happens every day. It has now been exactly 12,805 days since the tragic judicial fiat called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million of our own children. Some of them, Madam Speaker, cried and screamed as they died, but because it was amniotic fluid passing over their vocal cords instead of air, we couldn't hear them. And all of them had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. Each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own silent genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Madam Speaker, perhaps it is important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' Madam Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the Declaration, not the casual notion, but the Declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet Madam Speaker, another day has passed, and we in this body have failed again to honor that commitment. We failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more innocent American babies who died without the protection we should have been given them. But perhaps tonight, Madam Speaker, maybe someone new who heard this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers in ways that we can never express, and that 12,805 days spent killing nearly 50 million unborn children in America is enough; and that this National is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So tonight, Madam Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on yet another day to come, may that be the day when we hear the cries of the unborn at last. May that be the day we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. It is February 13, 2008--12,805 days since Roe v. Wade first stained the foundation of this Nation with the blood of its own children--this, in the land of free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, I stand once again before this body with another Sunset Memorial.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, it is February 7, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave; and before the sun set today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless, unborn children were killed by abortion on demand, and that's just today. That is more than the number of innocent American lives that we lost on September 11, only it happens every day. It has now been exactly 12,799 days since the tragic judicial fiat called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million of our own children. And all of them, Mr. Speaker, had at least four things in common. First, they were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. Each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it or not, will never be quite the same. And all the gifts these children might have brought to this humanity are now lost forever. Yet, even in the full glare of such tragedy, Mr. Speaker, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself, and our own silent genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Mr. Speaker, perhaps it's important for us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said: ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the only object of good government.'' Mr. Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all still here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the declaration, not the casual notion, but the declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict or battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core, self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet, Mr. Speaker, another day has passed, and we, in this body, have failed again to honor that commitment. We've failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more innocent American babies who died without the protection that we should have given them. But perhaps tonight, Mr. Speaker, maybe someone new who's heard this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers in ways that we can never express, and that 12,799 days spent killing nearly 50 million unborn children in America is enough, and that this Nation is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So, tonight, Mr. Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered, and that all too soon, each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on yet another day to come, may that be the day when we finally hear the cries of the unborn children in this country. May that be the day when we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. Mr. Speaker, it is February 7, 2008, 12,799 days since Roe v. Wade first stained the very foundation of this Nation with the blood of its own children, this in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, it is February 6, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave and before the sun set today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand--just today. That is more than the number of innocent American lives that we lost on September 11, only it happens every day. It has now been exactly 12,798 days since the tragic judicial fiat called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million children. And all of them had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. And each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Madam Speaker, those noble heroes lying in frozen silence out in Arlington National Cemetery did not die so America could shred her own Constitution, as well as her own children, by the millions. It seems that we are never quite so eloquent as when we condemn the genocidal crimes of past generations, those who allowed their courts to strip the black man and the Jew of their constitutional personhood, and then proceeded to murderously desecrate millions of these, God's own children. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Perhaps it is important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' Madam Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the Declaration, not the casual notion, but the Declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet another day has passed, Madam Speaker, and we in this body have failed again to honor that commitment. We failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more innocent American babies who died without the protection we should have given them. Madam Speaker, I believe that this discussion presents this Congress and the American people with two destiny questions. The first that all of us must ask ourselves is very simple: Does abortion really kill a baby? If the answer is ``yes,'' there is a second destiny question that inevitably follows. And it is this, Madam Speaker: Will we allow ourselves to be dragged by those who have lost their way into a darkness where the light of human compassion has gone out and the predatory survival of the fittest prevails over humanity? Or will America embrace her destiny to lead the world to cherish and honor the God-given miracle of each human life? Madam Speaker, it has been said that every baby comes with a message, that God has not yet despaired of mankind. And I mourn that those 4,000 messages sent to us today will never be heard. Madam Speaker, I also have not yet despaired. Because tonight maybe someone new, maybe even someone in this Congress, who heard this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers in ways that we can never express, and that 12,798 days spent legally killing nearly 50 million children in America is enough. And perhaps they will realize that America is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So tonight, Madam Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on yet another day to come, may that be the day when we hear the cries of the unborn at last. May that be the day we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. It is February 6, 2008--12,798 days since Roe v. Wade--in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, it is February 6, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave. And before the sun set today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand. That is just today. That is more than the number of innocent American lives lost on September 11, only it happens, Madam Speaker, every day in America. It has now been exactly 12,798 days since the judicial fiat called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million of our own unborn children. And all of them, Madam Speaker, had at least four things in common: they were just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone; each one of them died a nameless and a lonely death; each of the mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same; and all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself, and our own silent genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Madam Speaker, perhaps it is important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of innocent human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' Madam Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says, ``No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the declaration, not the casual notion, but the declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict or battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet another day has passed, Madam Speaker, and we in this body have failed again to honor that commitment. We have failed our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 more unborn children who died without the protection that we should have given them. Perhaps tonight, Madam Speaker, maybe someone new who hears this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers in ways that we can never express, and that 12,798 days spent killing nearly 58 million children in America is enough. Perhaps we will realize that the next time we meet that America is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. And so tonight, Madam Speaker, may each of us remind ourselves that our own days in the sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time, and if it should be that this Congress is allowed to continue on yet another day to come, may that day be the one when we hear the cries of the unborn at last. May that be the day that we find the humanity, the courage and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge in our Nation called abortion on demand. Madam Speaker, it is February 6, 2008, 12,798 days since Roe v. Wade in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, because the end of the hour grows close, I would now come before this body with a sunset memorial. We intend to repeat this from time to time to chronicle the loss of life by abortion on demand in this country. Mr. Speaker, it is January 29, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and before the sun sets today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand just today. Exactly 35 years today, the tragic judicial fiat called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million children. Mr. Speaker, that is more than 16,000 times the number of innocent lives lost on September 11. Each of the 4,000 children that we lost today had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. And each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Mr. Speaker, those noble heroes lying in frozen silence out in Arlington National Cemetery did not die so America could shred her own Constitution, as well as her own children, by the millions. It seems that we are never quite so eloquent as when we decry the genocidal crimes of past generations, those who allowed their courts to strip the black man and the Jew of their constitutional personhood, and then proceeded to murderously desecrate millions of these, God's own children. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Perhaps it is important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' Mr. Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the Declaration, not the casual notion, but the Declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet today, Mr. Speaker, in this body we fail to honor that commitment. We fail our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 innocent American babies who died without the protection we should have been given them. And so for them in this moment, Mr. Speaker, without yielding my time, I would invite anyone inclined to join me for a moment of silence on their behalf. Mr. Speaker, I believe that this discussion tonight presents this Congress and the American people with two destiny questions. The first that all of us must ask ourselves is very simple: Does abortion really kill a baby? If the answer to that question is ``yes,'' there is a second destiny question that inevitably follows. And it is this, Mr. Speaker: Will we allow ourselves to be dragged by those who have lost their way into a darkness where the light of human compassion has gone out and the predatory survival of the fittest prevails over humanity? Or will America embrace her destiny to lead the world to cherish and honor the God-given miracle of each human life? Mr. Speaker, it has been said that every baby comes with a message, that God has not yet despaired of mankind. And I mourn that those 4,000 messages sent to us today will never be heard. Mr. Speaker, I also have not yet despaired. Because tonight maybe someone new, maybe even someone in this Congress, who heard this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers more than anyone else, and that nearly 50 million dead children in America is enough. And that America is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So tonight, Mr. Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on another day yet to come, may that be the day that we hear the cries of the unborn at last. May that be the day we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. This is a sunset memorial, Mr. Speaker. It is January 29, 2008, in the land of free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, jihadist terrorism is an existential threat to human peace. Our Terrorist Surveillance Program is the most powerful tactical weapon we have against terrorists. If we knew where every terrorist in the world was tonight, we could end the war on terror within weeks. Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, has repeatedly asked this body to update this critical tool, and he has been met only with stalling from Democrats. This tool only allows us to target America's enemies on foreign soil with electronic surveillance, and it continues to protect those that are on foreign soil including, Madam Speaker, if Osama bin Laden was in a hotel on Capitol Hill, we could not target his phone or e-mail with electronic surveillance without a FISA warrant. This continues to protect Americans. And if we cannot pass this critical legislation in the day in which we live, we not only fail our primary purpose as a Congress; we fail the American people in future generations. Madam Speaker, we need to pass this.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, because the end of the hour grows close, I would now come before this body with a sunset memorial. We intend to repeat this from time to time to chronicle the loss of life by abortion on demand in this country. Madam Speaker, it is January 28, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and before the sun sets today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand just today. Exactly 35 years today, the tragic judicial fiat called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million children. Madam Speaker, that is more than 16,000 times the number of innocent lives lost on September 11. Each of the 4,000 children that we lost today had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. And each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Madam Speaker, those noble heroes lying in frozen silence out in Arlington National Cemetery did not die so America could shred her own Constitution, as well as her own children, by the millions. It seems that we are never quite so eloquent as when we decry the genocidal crimes of past generations, those who allowed their courts to strip the Black man and the Jew of their constitutional personhood, and then proceeded to murderously desecrate millions of these, God's own children. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Perhaps it is important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' Madam Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment encapsulates our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the declaration, not the casual notion, but the declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet today, Madam Speaker, in this body we fail to honor that commitment. We fail our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 innocent American babies who died without the protection we should have given them. Madam Speaker, I believe that this discussion presents this Congress and the American people with two destiny questions. The first that all of us must ask ourselves is very simple: Does abortion really kill a baby? If the answer to that question is ``yes,'' there is a second destiny question that inevitably follows. And it is this, Madam Speaker: Will we allow ourselves to be dragged by those who have lost their way into a darkness where the light of human compassion has gone out and the predatory survival of the fittest prevails over humanity? Or will America embrace her destiny to lead the world to cherish and honor the God-given miracle of each human life? Madam Speaker, it has been said that every baby comes with a message, that God has not yet despaired of mankind. And I mourn that those 4,000 messages sent to us today will never be heard. Madam Speaker, I also have not yet despaired. Because tonight maybe someone new, maybe even someone in this Congress, who heard this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers more than anyone else, and that nearly 50 million dead children in America is enough. And that America is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So tonight, Madam Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on another day yet to come, may that be the day that we hear the cries of the unborn at last. May that be the day we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. This is a sunset memorial, Madam Speaker. It is January 28, 2008, in the land of free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Madam Speaker, because the end of the hour grows close, I would now come before this body with a sunset memorial. We intend to repeat this from time to time to chronicle the loss of life by abortion on demand in this country. Madam Speaker, it is January 23, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and before the sun sets today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand just today. Exactly 35 years today, the tragic judicial fiat called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million children. Madam Speaker, that is more than 16,000 times the number of innocent lives lost on September 11. Each of the 4,000 children that we lost today had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. And each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Madam Speaker, those noble heroes lying in frozen silence out in Arlington National Cemetery did not die so America could shred her own Constitution, as well as her own children, by the millions. It seems that we are never quite so eloquent as when we decry the genocidal crimes of past generations, those who allowed their courts to strip the black man and the Jew of their constitutional personhood, and then proceeded to murderously desecrate millions of these, God's own children. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Perhaps it is important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' Madam Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the Declaration, not the casual notion, but the Declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet today, Madam Speaker, in this body we fail to honor that commitment. We fail our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 innocent American babies who died without the protection we should have been given them. Madam Speaker, I believe that this discussion presents this Congress and the American people with two destiny questions. The first that all of us must ask ourselves is very simple: Does abortion really kill a baby? If the answer to that question is ``yes,'' there is a second destiny question that inevitably follows. And it is this, Madam Speaker: Will we allow ourselves to be dragged by those who have lost their way into a darkness where the light of human compassion has gone out and the predatory survival of the fittest prevails over humanity? Or will America embrace her destiny to lead the world to cherish and honor the God-given miracle of each human life? Madam Speaker, it has been said that every baby comes with a message, that God has not yet despaired of mankind. And I mourn that those 4,000 messages sent to us today will never be heard. Madam Speaker, I also have not yet despaired. Because tonight maybe someone new, maybe even someone in this Congress, who heard this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers more than anyone else, and that nearly 50 million dead children in America is enough. And that America is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So tonight, Madam Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on another day yet to come, may that be the day that we hear the cries of the unborn at last. May that be the day we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. This is a sunset memorial, Madam Speaker. It is January 23, 2008, in the land of free and the home of the brave.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank the distinguished gentleman. I now, Mr. Speaker, yield to the distinguished gentleman, Congressman Jordan of Ohio.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank the gentleman for his very moving words. I would now yield to Mr. Lamborn from Colorado.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank the distinguished gentleman for his compelling words. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. David Davis.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to Mr. Walberg.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, this is the 35th anniversary of Roe versus Wade, and tonight I would like to recognize Congressman Chris Smith, who has been a committed champion to protect the unborn for as long as he has remained a Member of this body. So I yield now to Congressman Smith.

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank the distinguished gentleman. Mr. Speaker, because the end of the hour grows close, I would now come before this body with a sunset memorial. We intend to repeat this from time to time to chronicle the loss of life by abortion on demand in this country. Mr. Speaker, it is January 22, 2008, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and before the sun sets today in America, almost 4,000 more defenseless unborn children were killed by abortion on demand just today. Exactly 35 years today, the tragic judicial fiat called Roe v. Wade was handed down. Since then, the very foundation of this Nation has been stained by the blood of almost 50 million children. Mr. Speaker, that is more than 16,000 times the number of innocent lives lost on September 11. Each of the 4,000 children that we lost today had at least four things in common. They were each just little babies who had done nothing wrong to anyone. And each one of them died a nameless and lonely death. And each of their mothers, whether she realizes it immediately or not, will never be the same. And all the gifts that these children might have brought to humanity are now lost forever. Mr. Speaker, those noble heroes lying in frozen silence out in Arlington National Cemetery did not die so America could shred her own Constitution, as well as her own children, by the millions. It seems that we are never quite so eloquent as when we decry the genocidal crimes of past generations, those who allowed their courts to strip the black man and the Jew of their constitutional personhood, and then proceeded to murderously desecrate millions of these, God's own children. Yet even in the full glare of such tragedy, this generation clings to blindness and invincible ignorance while history repeats itself and our own genocide mercilessly annihilates the most helpless of all victims to date, those yet unborn. Perhaps it is important for those of us in this Chamber to remind ourselves again of why we are really all here. Thomas Jefferson said, ``The care of human life and its happiness and not its destruction is the chief and only object of good government.'' Mr. Speaker, protecting the lives of our innocent citizens and their constitutional rights is why we are all here. It is our sworn oath. The phrase in the 14th amendment capsulizes our entire Constitution. It says: ``No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'' The bedrock foundation of this Republic is the Declaration, not the casual notion, but the Declaration of the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by their creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every conflict and battle our Nation has ever faced can be traced to our commitment to this core self-evident truth. It has made us the beacon of hope for the entire world. It is who we are. And yet today, Mr. Speaker, in this body we fail to honor that commitment. We fail our sworn oath and our God-given responsibility as we broke faith with nearly 4,000 innocent American babies who died without the protection we should have been given them. And so for them in this moment, Mr. Speaker, without yielding my time, I would invite anyone inclined to join me for a moment of silence on their behalf. Mr. Speaker, I believe that this discussion tonight presents this Congress and the American people with two destiny questions. The first that all of us must ask ourselves is very simple: Does abortion really kill a baby? If the answer to that question is ``yes,'' there is a second destiny question that inevitably follows. And it is this, Mr. Speaker: Will we allow ourselves to be dragged by those who have lost their way into a darkness where the light of human compassion has gone out and the predatory survival of the fittest prevails over humanity? Or will America embrace her destiny to lead the world to cherish and honor the God-given miracle of each human life? Mr. Speaker, it has been said that every baby comes with a message, that God has not yet despaired of mankind. And I mourn that those 4,000 messages sent to us today will never be heard. Mr. Speaker, I also have not yet despaired. Because tonight maybe someone new, maybe even someone in this Congress, who heard this sunset memorial will finally realize that abortion really does kill a baby, that it hurts mothers more than anyone else, and that nearly 50 million dead children in America is enough. And that America is great enough to find a better way than abortion on demand. So tonight, Mr. Speaker, may we each remind ourselves that our own days in this sunshine of life are numbered and that all too soon each of us will walk from these Chambers for the very last time. And if it should be that this Congress is allowed to convene on another day yet to come, may that be the day that we hear the cries of the unborn at last. May that be the day we find the humanity, the courage, and the will to embrace together our human and our constitutional duty to protect the least of these, our tiny American brothers and sisters, from this murderous scourge upon our Nation called abortion on demand. This is a sunset memorial, Mr. Speaker. It is January 22, 2008, in the land of free and the home of the brave.