mr. speaker , since i was a child and to this very day on the floor of the house i have been guided by a fundamental principle that we as men and women , indeed , we as a society will be judged according to how we treat the most vulnerable amongst us . 
that is the issue we face today . 
i believe terri schiavo 's case must be judged in that context . 
for me the following points are the most important : terri left no living will or written instructions ; terri 's mom and dad , the people that have loved her the longest and have fought so valiantly for her , want responsibility for their daughter . 
i spoke with her brother who wants his parents to be able to protect his sister . 
terri 's life has value and worth , and we must do everything we can to protect her rights and those of other disabled people here in america . 
the law ought not to provide , should not provide , more protection for murderers guilty of terrible crimes than for an innocent woman lying in a florida hospital bed . 
so today we must act on behalf of terri schiavo . 
congress must act on behalf of all of those who can not speak for themselves and defend themselves . 
americans believe in a culture of life , not a culture that tells the weak and vulnerable there is no place for them at the table . 
there must be a place for them at our table . 
we make progress towards that culture of life , one life at a time , one heart at a time . 
today let us start by helping terri schiavo live . 
