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"Thank you, Madame Speaker. As a co-sponsor and proud parent of two young boys -- adopted young boys, whose family exists only because two women in two difficult situations in two different states chose life and gave us a family, I am proud to rise in strong support of the rule to allow the House to consider the Protect Life Act led by my friend and colleague, Congressman Joe Pitts. 
 
"Over a year ago, President Obama's healthcare plan was signed into law despite a strenuous outcry by the American people without significant and substantial prohibitions on federal funding for abortion.
"This funding of abortion through insurance plans, community health centers and other programs created by the new healthcare law could have been avoided if such language was intentionally left out.
 
"There've been restrictions on abortions in subsidies for over thirty years beginning with the Hyde Amendment in 1976, and I'm proud that today we are acting in that spirit. 
 
"Regardless of whether you are pro-choice or like me strongly pro-life, Americans have always agreed we will not use federal tax dollars to subsidize or incentivize abortion. And, you don't have to take my word for it. In poll after poll, more than 60% of Americans oppose using federal funding for abortions, and more recently two-thirds of Americans said we shouldn't subsidize health insurance plans that includes abortions.
 
"The President's healthcare plan fails to provide real conscious protection for healthcare providers who decline to participate in abortions by mandating that they not be discriminated against because of their religious faith.
 
"The bottom line is this bill that we take up today strikes an important balance to make sure your federal tax dollars are not used to subsidize abortions in the president's plan and will make sure that people and institutions are able to care for their patients and are not forced to violate their moral principles. 
 
"I strongly urge my colleagues to respect America's conscientious objections to abortions by voting for the rule and for the protect life act.  I yield back." 

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Congressman Kevin Brady is a senior member of the House Ways & Means Committee, Vice Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, a Deputy Whip for the Republican Party and a board member of the Republican Study Committee.