Billy Long: I will continue to fight abortion

(In his latest report, Seventh District Congressman Billy Long writes about abortion.)

I was in high school when the Supreme Court passed their Roe v. Wade ruling. I remember vividly how I could not understand their thinking that legalized stopping a beating heart on demand. I thought it was outrageous then and the intervening years have done nothing to change my opinion. I believe in the sanctity of human life, which begins at conception, and in protecting the rights of the unborn.

I am an original co-sponsor of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. This legislation codifies and makes permanent several policies which prohibit the use of tax dollars for abortion, both domestically and abroad. I have additionally co-sponsored several other pro-life bills. If passed, these bills will establish that life begins at conception and ensure that no funds provided under Title X of the Public Health Service Act should be awarded to entities which perform services for, or provide funds to another entity which performs abortions.

I will continue to fight to stop legislation and related measures which allow taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. Moreover, I will continue to work with my colleagues to protect the rights of the unborn and promote policies that encourage adoption and promote stable families.

Each year women all across our country find themselves facing a decision about whether to carry their unborn child to term and how to provide for that child once it has been born. We owe it to these women, and their children, to make sure they are truly informed about the options they have for their child. I am leading this effort through my Adoption Promotion Act. This legislation will ensure that all women who access family planning services provided with Title X funding are given pregnancy options counseling which includes professional adoption counseling. With this legislation, I am hoping that when a woman feels she is unable to care for her child for whatever reason, she knows she still has an option to provide her child with life and a good, loving future through adoption.

I am pro-life and believe we need to protect the rights of the unborn children. At the same time, we need to ensure that women who feel they cannot care for their child know they have the option of giving the child the gift of life and a loving family through adoption.