Last night, pro-life leader and longtime friend of the SBA List, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) gave a stellar response to the State of the Union. McMorris Rodgers, the highest ranking Republican woman in Congress, is a pro-life rock star who was introduced to a nationwide audience.
After becoming the first in her family to go to college, she was elected to Congress in 2004 with almost 60% of the vote. During her tenure, she has risen to become the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the House, she has been a strong leader in the pro-life movement, voting to ban-late term abortion and sex-selection abortion and has been a steadfast supporter of parental rights. In 2012, she was outspoken in combating the deceitful “War on Women” meme.
Rodgers’ personal story is inspiring. After being elected to Congress, she met and was married to retired Navy commander Brian Rodgers in 2006. Together, they have had three children since 2007, making McMorris Rodgers the first woman to have three children while serving in the U.S. Congress.
In her speech last night, McMorris Rodgers discussed those three children. When their first son, Cole, was diagnosed with Down syndrome three days after his birth, McMorris Rodgers said:
“When we looked at our son, we saw possibilities. We saw a Gift from God. Today we see a six-year-old boy who dances to Bruce Springsteen; who reads above grade level; and who is the best big brother in the world. We see all the things he can do, not those he can’t. Cole and his sisters, Grace and Brynn, have only made me more determined to see the potential in every human life – that whether we are born with an extra twenty-first chromosome or without a dollar to our name – we are not defined by our limits, but by our potential.”
After working tirelessly in Congress to promote the dignity of every human life, McMorris Rogers used her primetime speech to bring that personal message to the entire country.
A wife, mother, and a strong pro-life legislator, she is an inspiration to women and girls across America. She stands in stark contrast to President Obama who last week celebrated the 41st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade by saying “this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams.”
Women do not need abortion to fulfill their dreams. Rep. McMorris Rodgers gives a beautiful witness in showing how her son’s life, his ability to live and fulfill his dreams, has not damaged her ability to fulfill her own dreams, as she has become one of the leading women in American politics. She has not been “punished” with babies; she has been blessed with a family that inspires her to be a better legislator.
Last night, Americans were subject to the same worn-out rhetoric they have grown accustomed to from President Obama. But after his State of the Union, Americans had the opportunity to hear the response from a Congresswoman who has lived a life in opposition to the tired talking points and false assumptions of the Left. In the context of her own inspiring story, McMorris Rodgers provided a plan that for a country that “dreams big for everyone and turns its back on no one.” It was a reminder that we must stand for a bright future for all Americans, born and unborn.
The SBA Pro-Life America National Pro-life Scorecard is a tool that helps hold members of Congress accountable for their legislative records on life and that highlights leadership in the fight to serve women and save babies.
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