|
On September 28, 2006,
House Resolution # 222
was passed in the
House of
Representatives
supporting the goals
and ideals of
Pregnancy and Infant
Loss Remembrance Day.
Many families watched
this take place live
on C-SPAN Television,
watched live on the
internet, and listened
on news radio.
The House started out
with several speakers.
Georgia Representative
Lynn Westmoreland,
Illinois
Representative Danny
Davis, Iowa
Representative Tom
Latham, Georgia
Representative Phil
Gingrey, and ended
with California
Representative Brian
Bilbray.
California
Representative Brian
Bilbray told of his
own personal story 22
years ago. He and his
wife lost their
precious baby at the
age of 3 months to
crib death which is
now known as SIDS. He
was very emotional as
he spoke and brought
both me and my husband
to tears as we
watched.
Soon after, they
agreed to pass the
House Resolution.
Just below is a word
for word of the
transcription that
took place on
September 28th in the
House of
Representative.
SUPPORTING THE
GOALS AND IDEALS OF
NATIONAL PREGNANCY AND
INFANT LOSS
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr.
Speaker, I move to
suspend the rules and
agree to the
concurrent resolution
(H. Con.Res. 222)
supporting the goals
and ideals of National
Pregnancy and Infant
Loss Remembrance Day,
as amended.
The Clerk read as
follows:
H. CON. RES. 222
Whereas each year,
approximately one
million pregnancies in
the United States end
in miscarriage,
stillbirth, or the
death of a newborn
baby;
Whereas it is a great
tragedy to lose the
life of a child;
Whereas even the
shortest lives are
still valuable, and
the grief of those who
mourn the loss of
these lives should not
be trivialized;
Whereas during the
past 3 years,
Governors of all 50
States have signed
proclamations
designating October 15
as Pregnancy and
Infant Loss
Remembrance Day;
Whereas the
legislatures of the
States of Arkansas,
Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Missouri,
New York, Rhode
Island, and South
Dakota have passed
concurrent resolutions
recognizing October
15th of each year as
Pregnancy and Infant
Loss Remembrance Day;
Whereas the observance
of Pregnancy and
Infant Loss
Remembrance Day may
provide validation to
those who have
suffered a loss
through miscarriage,
stillbirth, or other
complications;
Whereas recognizing
Pregnancy and Infant
Loss Remembrance Day
would enable the
people of the United
States to consider
how, as individuals
and communities, they
can meet the needs of
bereaved mothers,
fathers, and family
members, and work to
prevent the causes of
these deaths; and
Whereas October 15th
of each year is an
appropriate day to
observe National
Pregnancy and Infant
Loss Remembrance Day:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House
of Representatives
(the Senate
concurring), That the
Congress
(1) supports the goals
and ideals of National
Pregnancy and Infant
Loss remembrance Day;
and
(2) requests that the
President issue a
proclamation calling
upon the people of the
United States to
observe such day with
appropriate programs
and activities.
The SPEAKER pro
tempore. Pursuant to
the rule, the
gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. WESTMORELAND) and
the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. DAVIS)
each will control 20
minutes. The Chair
recognizes the
gentleman from
Georgia.
GENERAL LEAVE
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr.
Speaker,
I ask unanimous
consent that all
Members may have 5
legislative days
within which to revise
and extend their
remarks and include
extraneous material on
the resolution under
consideration. The
SPEAKER pro tempore.
Is there objection to
the request of the
gentleman from
Georgia?
There was no
objection.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr.
Speaker, I yield
myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is an
enormous tragedy to
lose the life of a
child, and it is a sad
statistic that each
year approximately 1
million pregnancies in
the United States end
in miscarriage,
stillbirth, or the
death of a newborn
baby. As this
resolution states,
even the shortest of
lives are of great
value, and the grief
of the parents who
lose their children
cannot be
underestimated. The
Governors of all 50
States have joined
together in
designating October
15, 2006, as Pregnancy
and Infant Loss
Remembrance Day; and I
hope all Members will
join me in supporting
the goals and ideal of
this day as well.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve
the balance of my
time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois.
Mr. Speaker, I yield
myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, when any
baby or child dies,
there is deep grief
for the hopes, dreams,
and wishes that will
never be. Left behind
are a sense of loss
and a need for
understanding. Every
year, many lives are
touched by miscarriage
or the death of an
infant or child.
According to a 1996
study by the Center
for Disease Control,
16 percent of the more
than 6 million
pregnancies that year
ended in either a
miscarriage or a
stillbirth, and 26,784
births ended in infant
death. Pregnancy and
Infant Loss Day, which
will be held on
October 15, will
assist in bringing the
process of healing to
families and will help
to heal families who
are coping with and
recovering from a
miscarriage,
stillbirth, or the
loss of an infant.
Families will always
struggle to cope with
the devastating crisis
of a miscarriage or
loss of an infant
child. Parents often
cry, feel ill or
depressed, or have
other emotional
responses for months
or years after a
death. The pain is a
normal part of
grieving. Parents
often want to talk
about their pain and
are pleased when
others take the time
to listen. People who
come into contact with
a grieving family have
a role in helping to
resolve the familys
grief. The role of
each person will be
determined by his or
her relationship with
the family and the
familys stage of
grief. As a community,
we should remember
that no one can take
the pain away from a
grieving family. We
can, however, provide
comfort, sympathy, and
understanding.
There will always be
the need for
compassionate support
for grieving families,
and I hope that all
Americans will take
the time on October 15
to show their
compassion for
families that have
experienced the loss
of an infant or a
child.
I urge all of my
colleagues to support
this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield
back the balance of my
time.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr.
Speaker, I yield such
time as he may consume
to my friend and a
distinguished member
of this House from the
State of Iowa
(Mr. LATHAM). b 1600
Mr. LATHAM. Mr.
Speaker, each year
approximately 1
million pregnancies in
the United States end
in miscarriage,
stillbirth or the
death of a newborn
baby. Most Americans
are not aware of this
startling statistic,
because many of those
affected grieve in
silence, sometimes
never coming to terms
with their loss. We
can help by giving all
parents, grandparents,
siblings, relatives
and friends a special
day of remembrance. In
addition, bringing
attention to this
issue will foster
greater understanding
in our communities of
how to meet the needs
of bereaved family
members and focus
attention on efforts
to prevent pregnancy
loss and newborn
deaths. The Governors
of all 50 States have
signed proclamations
recognizing October 15
as Pregnancy and
Infant Loss
Remembrance Day, and
the legislatures of at
least eight States
have passed
resolutions
recognizing this day
each year on a
permanent basis.
Congress can bring
even greater national
awareness to this
important issue by
proclaiming its
support for Pregnancy
and Infant Loss
Remembrance Day.
Taking this action
will mean something
special to millions of
Americans that have
been affected,
especially the
mothers. I commend the
resolutions 54
bipartisan cosponsors
and the many citizens
throughout the country
and in my home State
of Iowa whose efforts
have made
consideration of this
resolution possible.
Mr. Speaker, I urge
all Members to support
the adoption of this
resolution which will
offer the support to
individuals and
families who have lost
a child through
miscarriage,
stillbirth or other
complications.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr.
Speaker, I yield 2
minutes to my
colleague, the
gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. GINGREY).
Mr. GINGREY. Mr.
Speaker, I thank the
gentleman for yielding
me time. I too want to
thank Representative
LATHAM for bringing
this resolution to the
floor and stressing
the importance to make
people understand that
a million babies lost
a year, in addition to
probably another
million or so that are
aborted deliberately,
is a lot of lost
lives.
Mr. Speaker, I think
the importance of this
resolution is to let
people know that when
couples have a
miscarriage, it is a
child. It might be for
some people, well, it
is just a miscarriage.
They were only 6 weeks
or they were only 9
weeks, and they did
not even know whether
it was a boy or girl.
But in the minds of
that couple in many
instances it is their
very first pregnancy,
and they are already
thinking about that
little boy or the
little girl and what
the name is going to
be and the clothes
that they are going to
pick out and the joys
they are going to have
sending that child to
school and raising it
and seeing it play
sports and become an
adult some day and
contribute to our
great society. We tend
to forget that. And
this was brought home
to me pretty vividly
recently when my
daughter-in-law,
pregnant with their
first child, found out
at10 weeks that the
baby did not have a
heartbeat. And so that
baby was lost. And she
went on, of course,
and miscarried. And
that loss will be with
them forever. And so I
think it is just so
important for us all
to realize that
when somebody, when
you hear about
somebody having a
miscarriage, do not
think, well, it was
just a miscarriage, it
is not like losing a
child or an older
child, which of course
I do not know that
anything compares to
that. But this is a
significant loss. And
that is why this
resolution today is so
important. I thank the
gentleman for
yielding. I thank
Congressman LATHAM for
bringing it forward
and Congressman DAVIS
as well.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr.
Speaker, I yield 2
minutes to the
gentleman from
California (Mr.
BILBRAY).
Mr. BILBRAY. Mr.
Speaker, I rise today
to thank Mr. LATHAM
and both the majority
and the minority for
presenting this
resolution today. I do
not talk about a
situation that
occurred over 22 years
ago in my family.
Actually it was 22
years, 2 months ago
that my wife and I
lost our child at 3
months to crib death.
I am sure you have got
to believe that 22
years should be able
to cover up the pain
and the hurt and the
scar. But it does not.
And though we have
been blessed with five
healthy children, we
will always have that
missing spot that that
little 3-month-old
baby filled. But I
want to thank you for
today, and I stand up
here today and speak
of this matter to
represent the men and
women who have gone
through what my family
has gone through, and
thank you for this.
If I may leave you
with one message: more
important than us
grieving for our
losses of those young
ones that have died
and are not here
today, the best way
for us to really
remember them is to
appreciate and worship
and thank God for the
blessings of having
healthy children and
babies that we can
take care of. Because
they truly are the
best memorial for our
babies that we have
lost, by preserving
and protecting the
treasures that God has
given us in healthy
children.
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker,
I am pleased to
support H. Con. Res.
222, a resolution
commending the goals
and ideals of National
Pregnancy and Infant
Loss Remembrance Day.
As a practicing OB/GYN
for almost 40 years, I
know there are few
things more
devastating than
losing a child to
medical complications
such as a miscarriage
or a stillbirth.
Americans should take
every opportunity to
provide comfort and
support to people who
have suffered such a
grievous loss. I also
wish to pay tribute to
the efforts of Mrs.
Robyn Bear, who played
an instrumental role
in bringing this issue
before Congress. Mrs.
Bears story is an
inspirational example
of how a dedicated
individual can make
something good come
from even the most
tragic circumstances.
After suffering six
first trimester
miscarriages between
1997 and 1999, Mrs.
Bear began working to
create a support
system for parents who
lost their children
because of medical
complications during
or shortly after
pregnancy. Largely due
to her efforts,
Governors of all 50
States have signed
proclamations
recognizing National
Pregnancy and Infant
Loss Remembrance Day.
Mrs. Bear has also
been instrumental in
founding several
online support groups
for families that have
suffered the loss of
an unborn or newborn
child. Mrs. Bears
efforts were also the
inspiration for this
legislation. I am
pleased to let my
colleagues know that
today Mrs. Bear is the
proud mother of a
6-year old girl and
3-year
old twins.
In conclusion, Mr.
Speaker, I once again
urge my colleagues to
support this bill. I
also extend my thanks
to Mrs. Robyn Bear for
all her efforts to
help parents who have
lost a child due to a
miscarriage,
stillbirth, or other
medical complications.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr.
Speaker, I have no
further speakers. I
want to urge all
Members to support the
adoption of House
Concurrent Resolution
222, as amended, and I
yield back the balance
of my time.
The SPEAKER pro
tempore. The question
is on the motion
offered by the
gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. WESTMORELAND)
that the House suspend
the rules and agree to
the concurrent
resolution, H. Con.
Res. 222, as amended.
The question was
taken; and (two thirds
having voted in favor
thereof) the rules
were suspended and the
concurrent resolution,
as amended, was agreed
to. A motion to
reconsider was laid on
the table.
If any of you would
like to say thank you
to these 5
Representatives who
spoke on our behalf or
the more than 50
Representatives who
co-sponsored our House
Resolution you can go
to their websites
below to email, call,
or send a card to
them.
***Congressman Tom
Latham (Iowa)
Brought the Resolution
in front of Congress
and spoke on our
behalf.
http://www.tomlatham.house.gov/
***Congressman Lynn
Westmoreland (Georgia)
Spoke on our behalf.
http://westmoreland.house.gov/
***Congressman Danny
Davis (Illinois)
Spoke on our behalf.
http://www.house.gov/davis/
***Congressman Phil
Gingray (Georgia) -
Spoke on our behalf.
http://gingrey.house.gov/
*** Congressman Brian
Bilbray (California)
Spoke on our behalf
and also shared his
emotional story of
losing his baby 22
years ago to SIDS.
http://www.house.gov/bilbray/
Another special thank
you should go to
Congressman Lathams
aide, Jacob Parker,
who worked very hard
on keeping me updated
on every move that was
being made. In turn, I
was able to keep all
of you on the News
Letter updated even
very close to 10
minutes before the
House proceedings were
to start.
If anyone would like
to send Jacob a card,
please mail it to:
United States House of
Representatives
Congressman Tom Latham
2447 Rayburn House
Office Building
Washington, D.C.
20515-1504
Attention: Jacob
Parker
The following are
the co-sponsors of the House Resolution. If any one would like to reach them
you by clicking on
http://www.house.gov/
|
Rep Steven Rothman NJ
Rep Rob Simmons CT
Rep Vic Snyder AR
Rep Curt Weldon PA
Rep Robert Andrews NJ
Rep Brian Bilbray CA
Rep Jeb Bradley NH
Rep Steve Chabot OH
Rep John Conyers MI
Rep Michael Doyle PA
Rep Bob Etheridge NC
Rep Barney Frank MA
Rep Sam Graves MO
Rep Wally Herger CA
Rep Rush Holt NJ
Rep Bob Inglis SC
Rep. Steve King IA
Rep Ron Lewis KY
Rep Donald Manzullo IL
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy NY
Rep. James McGovern MA
Rep Michael McNulty NY
Rep Dennis Moore KS
Rep Jim Nussle IA
Rep Solomon Ortiz TX
Rep Todd Russell Platts PA
Rep Jon Porter NV
|
Rep
Todd Akin MO
Rep Bob Beauprez CO
Rep Henry Bonilla TX
Rep Ken Calvart CA
Rep Michael Conaway TX
Rep Jo Ann Davis VA
Rep Thelma Drake VA
Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick PA
Rep Phil Gingrey GA
Rep Raul Grijalva AZ
Rep Stephanie Herseth SD
Rep Duncan Hunter CA
Rep Dale Kildee MI
Rep James Leach IA
Rep Stephen Lynch MA
Rep Jim Marshall GA
Rep Thaddeus McCotter MI
Rep Howard Buck McKeon CA
Rep Martin Meehan MA
Rep Robert Ney OH
Rep James Oberstar MN
Rep Ron Paul TX
Rep Janice Schakowsky IL
Rep Michael Simpson ID
Rep Lee Terry NE
Rep Albert Russell Winn MD
Rep Richard
Bombo CA
|
|
