Supreme Court's Impending Decision
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I am joined by my friends here this evening to talk about the impending decision of the Supreme Court and, of course, the things surrounding it, including the unfortunate, unprecedented leak of the information from the Court, as well as the, I think, heretofore unprecedented protesting at the homes of the Justices that can only legitimately be described as an attempt to influence and change their decision. We are going to get into all that.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Bishop), for some comments on this subject.
Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) for yielding.
The gentleman is right. You can't help but notice and perhaps be distracted in an unseemly way by the stream of insidious attacks on the institution of the United States Supreme Court. It began with ideas about packing the Court, the well-known threat by the majority leader in the Senate that, ``You won't know what hit you'' to the Justices of the Supreme Court, followed by that unprecedented leak--unprecedented in the history of the United States Supreme Court for a draft opinion to leak to the public.
But we weren't done then, because in the ensuing two weeks, there was the online publishing of information about the residences of the Justices of the Supreme Court and the appearance of mobs outside their houses to intimidate them.
And we were not done then. Last night, in the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, there were the most unseemly attacks on the institution of the Court.
We can look forward and we are still not done, because that committee, the Democratic majority of that committee, has scheduled for next week a hearing on the Dobbs case as it pends for decision on the calendar of the Court, another unprecedented trampling of institutional norms by a majority who reminds us constantly of their desire to protect democracy.
But as I say, all of that threatens to cover over what should be a hopeful moment for this Nation in which we may, for the first time in 49 years, set aside a regime that has resulted in the loss of 61 million innocents.
We may soon see in this Nation that no longer will tiny babies at the instant of their formation and their first weeks of growth when their formative heart begins to beat and they can sense pain, be forcibly ripped, limb from limb, as they are extracted from their mother's womb by an abortionist.
We can aspire now, given the hope that emerges from what was intended for evil, but God may use for good, this opinion that says no longer will the deficient logic and willful action of a Supreme Court majority in 1973 dictate the course of this Nation and commit us to a continuing abomination against the most innocent.
The aspiration that it may come to pass that the abomination of Roe v. Wade will join Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson and Korematsu on the ash heap of history, a stain upon the history of the United States, to be sure, but one that the Nation and those who have the good fortune to live within her confines may yet live to see redeemed.
Aspiration, hope, faith that this Nation may yet indeed see the living out of its creed. That is what I aspire to tonight.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and those are indeed inspiring and hopeful words as we stand ready to hear the Court's final decision, not trying to leak it, not trying to persuade it unduly, doing the work of democracy, of the representative Republic, speaking on behalf of the people that we represent, our bosses, so that they can decide, not just a few folks across the street here in robes, making decisions for the whole country.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman).
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I am being joined by some of my other colleagues here. Mr. Norman, Congressman Norman, mentioned the baby formula. We are here to talk about the stain of abortion on our country. But we are watching what is happening, talking about children that need their formula.
Mothers need to feed their babies. They can't get it at the store, yet we see the shelves are full down on the southern border, full of baby formula.
What about America's babies, ladies and gentlemen? What about America's babies?
Look, you don't have to take our word for it. We are here to talk about the stain of all the lost lives of the innocent over these 49 years. But don't take our word for it. Don't take Republicans' word for it.
How about Democrats? How about Governor Bob Casey in the Abortion Control Act of 1982, where he had to go to the Supreme Court and fight against Planned Parenthood for things like parental consent prior to a minor undergoing an abortion? What a novel concept. Oh, so striking.
How about, just yesterday, The Washington Post, not known as a bastion of conservatism, saying that yes, experts say protests at SCOTUS Justice homes appear to be illegal, appear to be illegal because title 18, section 1507 of the U.S. Code, says it is: cannot try and influence the decision of the Court.
But the left doesn't care. Every single day when you wake up, you say to yourself, I don't know how it could get much worse. I can't believe what is happening, and I don't know what else could get worse than it is. But then, every single day, something else unprecedented happens. Today, that is occurring yet again.
If you don't believe me or The Washington Post or Bob Casey, Governor Bob Casey v. Planned Parenthood--by the way, I am not sure how Governor Casey would feel about his son's actions in the U.S. Senate when they voted for the most extreme position, which would make abortion legal at any point during the pregnancy, including up until the minute of birth--voted for that. His father fought the good fight.
But what about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, celebrated leftist on the Court, celebrated believer in abortion and protector of abortion, who said that the 1973 law did too much too fast, said that ``doctrinal limbs too swiftly shaped . . . may prove unstable.'' She knew this was a stain on our humanity. She knew.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, the good gentleman from Georgia reminded me, as I said, you don't have to believe us Republicans. He reminded me that President Biden said this is a child, what we have known all our lives. But don't believe us if you don't want to. Believe your President. He said it is a child. So we know, right? And we are so grateful.
As people who love life, love the protection of life guaranteed in the Constitution, we have suffered and prayed for 49 years. We didn't like the decision 49 years ago, in 1973. We didn't like it, but we didn't do the wrong thing. We used the system appropriately, as it was designed by the Founders and the Framers of our great country, to remove the stain of the loss of innocent life from our laws. We are on the edge of that.
But the point is that there is a right way to do things. Even though we disagree on occasion, we are a country of laws. If it is going to be okay to break the law just because you disagree with a decision, well, that is not a country that is going to endure very long.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Indeed, life is precious. It is a blessing. It is a gift. As a parent there is nothing like it. We have lamented these last 49 years in the loss of these innocent lives, and that our country could stand for that and support that; not only just support it, but go out and campaign for it with our tax dollars, with our rhetoric, with our policies around the globe.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the United States of America where you are guaranteed by our Creator, and ordained in the Constitution, the gift of life, the blessing of life, the first gift, the first blessing.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde).
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the good gentleman and all my colleagues. Our time is almost over, but I just want to reiterate that we--these Members here and many others on this side of the aisle, in particular--stand for life.
We stand for the Constitution which guarantees that life. We stand for the rights enumerated in the Constitution that are given to us by God--granted to us by God. As my friend said: Can't be taken away--even though some will try. When God gives them to you, they can't be taken away. That is all by design.
We stand for the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution that folks that would wish to subvert the rule of law--try and color the Court's decision--they should be held accountable. All men are created equal under the law. Apparently, under this administration some are more equal than others.
Madam Speaker, that is the recipe for anarchy. We are thankful for this opportunity to speak to our bosses, our employers, the ones who rule over us, the good Lord, and our constituents this evening.
Madam Speaker, we are thankful for the time to speak on this very important issue, stand for the Constitution, stand for the law, and importantly, stand for life.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source