Byrne: The sanctity of life

I am proudly pro-life. Millions of Americans are as well.

The sanctity of human life is immeasurable, and the countless Americans who feel the same way should not have their voices silenced or their opinions rebuked in the mistaken claim of freedom of choice.

Since I have been in Congress, I have consistently stood up for the unborn, and I continue to stand up for life. I am proud of the hundreds of Alabamians, most of them young people, who this past weekend took a stand for life in our nation’s Capital as part of the annual March for Life.

Those who support pro-life causes support American values, allowing all the opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Too often I have seen the national mainstream media cover the handful of counter-protesters who come to speak out against those taking a stand, rather than cover the thousands of people on the side of life.

Why is it that it is so untenable to the Democrat party and those on the far left to want every unborn child to have the same fighting chance at life as they received?

Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, nearly 61 million abortions have been carried out in the United States. That is absolutely unacceptable.

I remain dedicated to doing everything I can to ensure we defund Planned Parenthood, permanently end taxpayer funding of abortion, overturn Roe and ensure all lives are protected.

As a Christian, I believe that we are all created in the image of God. As children of God, from the moment of conception, God’s breath of life resides in us. To abort an unborn child is as much the ending of life as any other form of murder.

Already in 2019, I have taken action on several pro-life initiatives.

As I have done every Congress since I was elected by the people of Southwest Alabama, I have joined the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, a group of House Members who advocate for life in Washington.

Additionally, I have signed on to key legislation to protect the unborn.

One of the bills I have cosponsored is the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2019, which would place a one-year moratorium on federal funding to Planned Parenthood and increase funding to community health centers that do not perform abortions but provide more comprehensive care.

I have also cosponsored the Heart Beat Protection Act, which bans abortion after a detectible heartbeat; the Life at Conception Act, which defines that human life begins at conception; and the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA), which prohibits sex-selective abortions while protecting women upon whom sex-selective abortions have been performed.

And just last Friday, President Trump agreed to support our stance outlined in a letter I signed, asking him to veto any funding bill that weakens pro-life protections and any bill that weakens federal pro-life policy.

There is a verse that is well known to many parents and grandparents, and the message is clear: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

God has a plan for all of us in life, and he knew that plan even before we were formed. Life begins at conception. God’s plan for us is something we can never know fully, and it is something that no one should ever snuff out.

I will continue to stand for life, for God’s plan for our lives, and for the incredible gift that is a child.
U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne is a Republican from Fairhope.