Life
As penned in the Declaration of Independence, our forefathers founded America with the strong belief that individuals are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Among those is the right to life, which influences my commitment to protecting the most vulnerable, including the unborn.
Since entering Congress, protection of life has been one of my highest priorities. Throughout my service in the U.S. House of Representatives, I have voted in support of life and currently have a 100 percent pro-life voting record. In the days ahead, I will continue to defend the sanctity of life with every vote I cast.
More on Life
The Oklahoman - Chris Casteel
Congress averted a government shutdown Wednesday, approving a short-term spending bill just hours before the deadline with strong bipartisan support.
President Barack Obama signed the legislation, which will keep departments funded close to their current levels until Dec. 11, two weeks before Christmas.
The Hill - Sarah Ferris
A top House Republican is asserting that the short-term government spending bill includes no funding for Planned Parenthood, a last-ditch effort to quell the conservative rebellion threatening the bill's fate.
“Just to make the record crystal clear, there's just simply not a dime in here for Planned Parenthood,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said during a markup of the spending bill by the House Rules Committee.
PolitiFact - Lauren Carroll
Congress needs to pass a spending bill by Sept. 30, 2015, or there’ll be a government shutdown. Some members of Congress want to leverage this deadline to defund Planned Parenthood.
But the bill Congress will likely pass -- a short-term spending bill that funds the government through Dec. 11 -- doesn’t include funding for Planned Parenthood to begin with, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., on Fox News Sunday Sept. 27. So Congress shouldn’t shut down the government over funding the women’s health organization.
Without question, the recent release of several undercover videos showing the cold-hearted, profit-driven and suspicious back-room realities at Planned Parenthood have shocked and horrified the vast majority of Americans. For those who have watched the videos or opted only to read about the horrors contained therein, the stomach-churning conversations and horrific images reveal a dark industry that not only claims the precious lives of unborn children but shamelessly sells their aborted remains.
The Hill - Sarah Ferris and Peter Sullivan
House Republicans outraged by a series of undercover Planned Parenthood videos about fetal parts are pressuring their leadership to immediately call a vote on defunding the organization.
Republican members have been lining up behind the push to cut off federal funds to the organization. Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) and 124 co-sponsors have backed a bill to defund Planned Parenthood for one year while an investigation takes place.
During our country’s beginnings, our founders recognized the importance of establishing, protecting and preserving certain rights for all Americans. For generations, the unique liberties in our Bill of Rights have been the bedrock of our country and given assurance and peace of mind to every citizen.
While conflicting opinions and beliefs have and always will be inevitable, one of the reasons our nation remains the greatest in the world rests on the freedoms imagined and secured long ago by our forefathers.