Dem Rep. Jackie Speier reveals abortion story on House floor

UPDATED: 2:17PM ET

House debate over Republican proposals to cut millions of dollars in funding for family planning programs became emotional on Thursday night, when one Democratic congresswoman spoke about her own experience with abortion.

The proposal in question, put forth by Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), would cut all federal funding for Planned Parenthood. It would also entirely eliminate a program known as Title X, which provides more than $300 million in aid for family planning and reproductive health, much of which is directed toward low-income families.

During the course of the three-hour debate, which lasted late into the night, more than 30 House members voiced their thoughts on the issue - but the chamber floor fell silent when Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) spoke about her own experience with abortion.

Noting that she had originally intended to address a different topic, Speier said she was driven to share her own perspective after hearing the remarks of Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who for five minutes read graphic passages of a book in which a woman describes the experience of having an abortion.

"I really planned to speak about something else but the gentleman from New Jersey just put my stomach in knots because I'm one of those women he spoke about just now," Speier said. "I had a procedure at 17 weeks pregnant with a child who moved from the vagina into the cervix. And that procedure that you just described is a procedure that I endured."

"I lost the baby," she continued. "And for you to stand on this floor and suggest that somehow this is a procedure that is either welcomed or done cavalierly or done without any thought, is preposterous."

Speier went on to call the proposal a "vendetta" against Planned Parenthood.

"Planned Parenthood has a right to operate. Planned Parenthood has a right to provide services for family planning. Planned Parenthood has a right to offer abortions," she argued. "Last time I checked, abortions were legal in this country."

Pence, a fervent opponent of abortion rights who was at one time thought to be a potential 2012 presidential contender (he recently announced his decision not to run), referenced during his remarks a video depicting a Planned Parenthood employee giving advice to a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute. (The video was produced by an anti-abortion group as a part of an undercover sting operation.)

"As the father of two teenage daughters, there are not words strong enough to portray my contempt of this pattern of apparent fraud and abuse by Planned Parenthood," Pence said.

Abortion rights advocates have called the proposal a "war against women" and argue that federal law already prohibits the expenditure of funds toward providing abortions. According to the New York Times, Planned Parenthood currently receives more than $75 million a year from the federal government to provide family planning and sex education services largely to low-income women.

Congress, however, has long since banned the use of federal funds for abortions.

"By targeting Planned Parenthood, the Pence Amendment will risk the lives and safety of millions of American women," said New York Democrat Louise Slaughter. "These proposed cuts to family planning represent the opening salvo in an all-out war on women's health - and I have been a soldier on the other side of that war for several decades."

She added that "It has been an absolute awful time for most of us who are such strong believers in the rights of women and women's health, and that women should have the ability to make decisions themselves."

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, wrote in an email earlier this week that Pence's proposal was "the most dangerous legislative assault on women's health in Planned Parenthood's 95-year history," the Times reports.

Democratic New York Rep. Jerry Nadler called the amendment a "bill of attainder" and argued it was a "war against women," according to the Hill.

"I hear that we must punish Planned Parenthood by defunding them because they've committed a number of sins; sin No. 1, they are large abortion providers, even though none of those abortions are paid for by the federal government," Nadler said.

In later remarks, Republican Rep. Louis Gohmert, of Texas, disputed this assessment.

"No one is being found guilty of a crime here, I know about those things," he said, referring to the definition of a bill of attainder, which doles out punishment for a crime that has not received a trial.

"I know the gentleman is one of the smartest people I know but this is not a bill of attainder."

The amendment, which will head to the Senate upon its expected passage in the House, will likely face difficulty in the Democratically-controlled chamber.

Update: In a vote of 240 to 185, with one Congress member voting "present," the House on Friday voted to pass the Pence Amendment. The bill will now move to the Senate.

[allpartisans]

Breathtaking. This Congresswomen who was shot and nearly died in Jonestown, who is a witness to all those babies who were poisoned by the madman Jim Jones, fights now and has do so for decades for the killing of innocent lives of babies who never get to gasp even one breath. She, the survivor of a murderous rampage, now is an accomplice to the murder of millions.

[sweetness36]

I guess it goes to show you how many uneducated people are out there. Fetal development just at 14 weeks the "baby" practices inhaling and exhaling movements. The baby begins to move around more and you can hear the heartbeat. It amazes me how people get hung up on the fact of whether it is a "baby" or "human" in the womb. Only because as humans we want to do what we want and not told we can or cannot do something. Sure, by law, you have a choice to abort the baby but at what cost? Just because you do not want a baby? I think more money should be poured into prevention so that abortion would not have to be an option. This tiny part of you is alive, moving, living, and feeling...s/he feels pain too. This is what is sad and heartbreaking to me is that the baby is suffering for that one moment in time and not given a chance to grow up and become a doctor, lawyer, teacher, senator, etc. S/he does not get a chance to be loved or love someone.

A dear, wonderful friend of mine was aborted by her mother but survived. Yes, there are some babies that live the torment of being aborted and grow up to be great people. I thank God for her everyday and to hear ignorant people with absolutely no compassion for others leave the comments they do, upsets me. I normally do not comment on posts but I felt in my heart to do so this time. If one person reading this changes their view about abortion then I have done my part.

[abortionismurder]

Oh, BTW (in case Rep. Speier needs a reminder)..."It's ALWAYS about abortion." As long as innocent human beings are denied the right to take their first breath, there will be SOMEONE brave enough to stand for justice; and sooner or later, we will all have to account for our apathy toward the defenseless.

[ihateidiotlikeyou]

YOU ARE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL IDIOT. BTW I TALKED TO GOD AND GOD SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT YOU (you aren't the only nutter who can talk to god, you know). Your handle should read PEOPLEWHOKILLDOCTORSWHOPREFORMLEGALABORTIONSAREMURDERERS. Point of fact.

[abortionismurder]

I did not mention God, nor the fact that I talk to Him. Perhaps something I said tweaked your conscience.

I would never kill an abortionst / hired serial baby killer, but it amazes me how often people like you use that ridiculous argument. I'm pretty sure you can count on one hand the number of abortionists who have been assassinated by people who believe taking the life of a child in the womb is murder. You could count from now until next year and probably never get close to the more than 50 MILLION American babies who never saw the light of day because their own mother paid an abortionist to kill them.

I feel sorry for people who are so blinded to the truth about abortion. Most women who have made the wrong "choice" end up regretting it for the rest of their lives. That is one reason I'm willing to spend precious time talking about such a despicable thing as legalized baby killing. It affects all of us. It has seared the conscience of America and brought on countless other personal and national consequences.

[abortionismurder]

Rep. Speier obviously suffers with schizophrenia. She rightly stated she lost a BABY at 17 weeks. Then, she proceeded to excuse PP's practice of killing BABIES. Next, she tried to equate illegal activity of a private business with taxpayer-funded murder. She even had the audacity to insist that time spent trying to defund the barbaric practice of tearing tiny humans to shreds is an irresponsible waste. My questions for Ms. Speier are, "At what point did your 'fetus' become a baby, and why shouldn't EVERY child's right to live be protected? And, do you actually believe that jobs are more important to the American people than LIFE itself?

[bguytontx]

You do not understand what schizophrenia is just as most pro-choice people don't know that an embryo has a heartbeat sometime after the 4th week of conception. I am also against abortion in most cases; however, there are several circumstances in which a female might find herself such as pregnancy by incest or rape where abortion might be justified. With new technology, we can see when a fetus has no brain or has no heartbeat. Each circumstance has its own conditions to consider. We don't know why Congresswoman Spiere had an abortion. In any case, I do admire her courage in speaking about it openly. By the way, I am the mother of an intelligent son who developed schizophrenia at age 19 during his first semester in college. I find it abhorrent that you refer to her as having schizophrenia when you have no idea what it is and how it affects a person's life.

[slappy_mcghee]

Going to admit you were wrong now, No_Absolutes, or are you a coward?

.

[slappy_mcghee]

You know what my bet is...

[slappy_mcghee]

<crickets>

[slappy_mcghee]

Find the answers yet, No_abs?

Take the time to read the thread, and you won't have these problems.

[slappy_mcghee]

Here's one of them for you, lazy ass:

"by slappy_mcghee February 18, 2011 4:25 PM EST
I am not familiar with what the Roe v Wade decision is based on - I was speculating."

Go find the others. You really need to work on your reading comprehension.

[No_Absolutes]

Slappy I'm not quite sure what you mean saying I'm trying to "score points" against you. I don't know who Empire is but I have seen that Mortart person and I think he's an idiot too, only on the otherside of the issue. In fact, thats where my name comes from. There are no absolute truths as people like you would or Mortart would have us believe. Just once I'd like to see you admit, in the face of overwelming evidence, that you're wrong.

So how about it...now that you're familiar with Justice Blackmun and his political philosophy, will you at least admit you were wrong when you claimed Roe v. Wade is an example of Originalism?

[slappy_mcghee]

Already did, you moron. Read the thread.

SheeEEEsh!

Go bother someone else.

[slappy_mcghee]

And I'm not familiar with Blackmun - I only have your word on him, and I don't give your word any credence.

[slappy_mcghee]

No_Absolutes -

I'm terribly sorry your panties are in a wad over how I post. You're not going to change that. Might as well accept that, and help your blood pressure return to normal.

[No_Absolutes]

not in a wad... I actually have fun pointing out your inconsistencies.

[slappy_mcghee]

Well, perhaps you can read the thread, and see that I am not being inconsistent, unless you want to pull out your apples-and-oranges argument again.

[slappy_mcghee]

I own several businesses. Thanks for asking.

And you probably observed my interactions with Empire and/or Mortar. I enjoy giving them a taste of their own medicine.

I just asked who you were, because you appear desperate to "score points" against me, and coupled with your lack of education, you reminded me of a few other posters I've interacted with.

[No_Absolutes]

Own several businesses...thats code for unemployed.

[slappy_mcghee]

You asked. I really don't care if you believe me or not.

[slappy_mcghee]

No_Absolutes - what other screen names have you used in the past? You remind me of a few different undereducated posters, but I'm trying to nail down which one you are....

[No_Absolutes]

there u go again, throw-up a smoke screen rather thhan address the real issues....so pathetic you are.

[slappy_mcghee]

I haven't thrown up a single "smoke screen". What - you're the only one allowed to ask questions?

So who have you been in the past, in terms of screen name? Too much of a coward to admit who?