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 .  