mr. speaker , tonight we are taking on one of the great moral issues of our day , our basic sanctity of life , our right to life ; and what you hear tonight is a lot of emotion . 
we have all had experiences with situations similar to this , or we know those that have dealt with these tough issues . 
we know family members that have dealt with these tough issues of end-of-life decisions . 
and tonight we as a body are wrestling with this issue . 
just like america is , we are wrestling with this great issue . 
but i submit to you , tonight , we are not talking simply about terri schiavo . 
we are not talking simply about terri schiavo 's family . 
we are talking about a greater issue : how shall we be judged as a civil society ? 
and i submit to you that we will be judged by how we treat the least among us , those that may not defend themselves , the young , the mentally disabled , the physically disabled . 
how shall we be judged as a civil society ? 
what kind of government shall we have ? 
as a federal government , i believe we have an obligation to step forward and say that we shall protect life . 
even when it is tough , we shall protect life , and a woman 's right to live . 
and tonight , mr. speaker , there is a woman in florida that is being starved , and we are acting tonight to preserve her right to live and give her the opportunity of a tomorrow . 
i say to you , tonight , mr. speaker , this is not about terri schiavo ; it is about every one of us in this room . 
it is about millions of americans across this nation . 
we are all potentially terri schiavos . 
mr. speaker , i urge support for this bill . 
