By Congresswoman Renee Ellmers
As a mother, a wife, and a devout Catholic, protecting life is a mission that is very near and dear to my heart. Having served as a nurse for over 21 years, I have witnessed firsthand how fragile and delicate our lives are, and as a mother, I know how special and wonderful a new little life is. It is my ultimate hope that we strengthen the pro-life community and that we do so through the embodiment of compassion— we need to personify compassion and use it to empower women who find themselves in the midst of a heart-wrenching crisis.
Recently, a bill was scheduled to reach the House floor called the Pain Capable bill, which would – and rightfully so– ban all abortions after a 20-week gestation period. Research has shown a baby can feel pain in the womb from the 20th week until live birth. As any member of Congress should do when apprehensive with language in a bill, my colleagues and I took our concerns to leadership, and we held a discussion within the family of our Republican Conference. I remain disappointed that the concern for the language of mandatory reporting of rape to law enforcement held by House Republican women and many men were not addressed before our leadership made the decision to pull the bill from the House floor in the eleventh hour. Additionally, I am appalled by the abhorrent and childish behaviors from some of the leaders of the outside groups.
In the meantime, we will continue working to address our concerns with the bill’s mandatory provision that requires a victim of rape to report to law enforcement, and our goal remains the same: bring this pro-life legislation to the House floor in its best possible form so that we can stand up for the unborn.
While we must continue to provide a voice for the voiceless, we must also show compassion to women when they are in the midst of a crisis, especially victims of rape —and it is my belief that the mandatory police reporting provision relating to rape within the bill would have hindered our ability to do that. When a heinous act leads to an unbelievably difficult decision for a woman, it is my hope and my prayer the woman chooses life, as it is truly a gift from God. We need to empower women with courage to face this crisis and provide them with the knowledge that there are other support systems ready and available to show an outpouring of love and a flood of compassion.
The God I serve has reinforced the need for compassion from one human to another in all circumstances— and I believe compassion is the only way to change hearts. It’s unimaginable to me why some outside parties would seek to target strong, pro-life conservative women and men who are serving in Congress. We all believe in a Higher Power. We all believe we've been blessed and that we have an obligation to do what is right for our country and the future of our children. I am proud to work with all of you in this mission as we continue to promote and protect God's greatest gift - the gift of life. May God bless you, your families, and continue to bless our great nation.
