No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the thousands of people who will travel to our Nation's Capital this week to join us in the March for Life. Marching proudly among them will be many, many Nebraskans--families, neighbors, student organizations, and church groups. They are going to brave the snow and freezing temperatures to march along the National Mall as part of a peaceful rally that draws attention to pro-life and pro-women policies.

Since I first started my career in public service, I have supported commonsense pro-life measures that protect women and unborn children. All too often, women are faced with unplanned pregnancies, and they experience condemnation instead of compassion. These women shoulder despair, pain, and judgment when they should receive comfort, assistance, and reassurance. These mothers should always know that they have support as they face challenging years ahead.

In the Senate, I am proud to pledge my support for several pro-life bills. This afternoon, I would like to highlight a few of them.

Once again, I am cosponsoring the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This legislation would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks unless it is necessary to save the life of the mother or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. Twenty weeks, as advances in science and medical technology tell us, is the point at which an unborn child is capable of feeling pain.

When I served in the Nebraska Legislature, we passed the first ban on abortions after 20 weeks. Republicans and Democrats, pro-choice and pro-life Senators, voted in its favor because it is sound policy. We should enact this commonsense legislation at the Federal level as well.

I am also a cosponsor of the Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act. This bill would prevent the Federal funding of Planned Parenthood or any of its affiliates. In 2016, Planned Parenthood received nearly $544 million from the Federal Government. I believe that Congress must redirect this funding to where it belongs, and that is to our community health centers.

In Nebraska we have seven community health centers, with 44 clinic sites all across our State. I have had the opportunity to visit these sites, and I have seen firsthand the high-quality, compassionate care they provide to women in need. Our patients in Nebraska would be better served if this Federal funding were directed toward these centers and also these clinics, which serve all Nebraskans--all Nebraskans everywhere in our State--not Planned Parenthood.

The Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act is another commonsense solution that will protect life and help provide comprehensive healthcare for women. Finally, I will once again support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, introduced by the senior Senator from Mississippi. Since the 1970s, the Hyde amendment has prohibited Federal funds for abortions, but it requires a yearly passage through Congress. This measure would permanently establish in statute the protections of the Hyde amendment. These are a few of the important pro-life policies that I am working on in the Senate.

Again, I want to welcome all of the Nebraskans who are traveling over 1,000 miles to take part in the March for Life. It is great to see the pro-life movement building such momentum. More and more young people are joining the cause and standing tall for this timeless value, and I want to thank each and every one of them for their courage and for taking a stand for what they believe in and for what science tells us.

They march not with anger or condemnation, but with love and hope. They will be living out the direction of Mother Teresa, when at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast she said:

A sign of care for the weakest of the weak--the unborn child--must go out to the world. . . . then really you will be true to what the founders of this country stood for.

So to all of the Nebraskans and to all Americans who will gather here in Washington for the March for Life, please know that I support your every step.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise to discuss the state of our national defense. First, I want to recognize the brave Americans who were killed in a suicide attack in Syria today. Our deepest sympathies are with the families of those killed and the injured. We are so grateful to these Americans for their service and for their sacrifice.

As I enter my seventh year on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I can't help but reflect on our past successes. I am proud of what we have accomplished by working together to fulfill the first responsibility of our Federal Government to provide for the common defense. Together, we have continued the committee's longstanding bipartisan tradition of working to strengthen our military, and we have been effective on a variety of fronts.

We have provided our brave men and women in uniform with the resources they need to carry out the missions we give them every year through the National Defense Authorization Act.

Importantly, for the last 2 years, Congress and the administration have worked together to rebuild the Department of Defense and reorient it to today's threats. As the administration's National Defense Strategy correctly identifies, the primary challenge to U.S. interests today comes not from terrorist groups but from Russia and China.

In recognition of this fact, Congress increased funding to restore readiness and expand force structure from near-historic lows. While progress has been made, significant challenges remain.

The bipartisan support for increased defense spending must continue, and Congress must ensure our service men and women have the necessary training and equipment for the great power competition that defines the current geopolitical landscape. As part of this effort to ensure our military is prepared for the new threat environment, we must continue modernizing our nuclear forces.

Once again, this Congress I will chair the Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, and this issue will be my top priority. Since the end of World War II, our nuclear deterrent has formed the bedrock of our Nation's security. With Russia and China increasingly seeking to challenge U.S. interests and to reshape the geopolitical landscape in their favor, the unique role our nuclear forces play in deterring conflict and preventing war is becoming increasingly important.

Meanwhile, our warheads and delivery systems age toward obsolescence, as does the infrastructure that maintains our deterrent. Many of these systems have aged far beyond their designed lifetimes. They cannot be sustained indefinitely. Put simply, as our nuclear deterrent becomes more important to our Nation's defense, the need for nuclear modernization only grows.

This conclusion is echoed in the administration's National Defense Strategy, its Nuclear Posture Review, and the bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission, which described nuclear modernization as a ``critical imperative.''

The previous administration, under President Obama, also recognized the need for modernization and began an effort to recapitalize our nuclear forces. Right now, major programs are underway to replace our legacy systems. This includes the B-21 bomber, which will replace the B-52 and B-2 bombers, and the long-range standoff weapon, which will replace the existing nuclear-armed, air-launched cruise missile. The ground-based strategic deterrent is replacing the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. Finally, the Columbia-class submarine will replace the Ohio-class submarines that are currently in service.

The command and control networks on which our nuclear forces rely are also in need of replacement, as is the scientific infrastructure that maintains our stockpile of aging warheads.

In some cases, such as with the production of plutonium pits-- essentially the cores of our nuclear weapons--we must reconstitute lost capabilities. Adding to the challenge, as a result of decisions to delay and defer funding, there is no margin for error in the schedule.

This is the position we find ourselves in. Our existing platforms are simultaneously aging out just as their replacements are scheduled to be ready. Something General Selva, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refers to as just-in-time modernization. That means any delay, any error, could put at risk our ability to field an effective nuclear deterrent in the future. We cannot allow that to happen. In the face of growing threats, our deterrent must remain strong.

As chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I understand I carry the solemn responsibility to make sure the nuclear forces that have deterred conflict, safeguarded our livelihoods, and preserved our Nation's power for decades continues to protect the next generation of Americans. While U.S. Strategic Command is located in Sarpy County, NE, it is a national asset with a global mission--over 180,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and civilians are working every day around the world in support of the command's mission.

During this Congress, I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this key priority and continuing our work in providing for a strong national defense.

Thank you.

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