AMERICANS WHO WHEN THEY HEAR ABOUT THIS CHILD WHO IS DEFORMED
           OR NOT GOING TO LIVE LONG, SEE THIS CHILD AS A BURDEN, AS
           UNWANTED, AS IMPERFECT. IT'S SORT OF A SAD COMMENTARY ON OUR

           COUNTRY THAT WE LOOK AT GOD'S CREATIONS AND SEE ONLY WHAT THEIR
           UTILITY IS TO OUR COUNTRY, TO OUR LIVES, TO OUR WORLD. AND IF
           THEIR UTILITY ISN'T HOW WE CAN QUANTIFY IT IN TERMS OF WHAT
           KIND OF JOB THEY CAN HAVE OR HOW SMART THEY WILL BE OR HOW
           BEAUTIFUL THEY WILL BE, WHAT THEY WILL ADD TO THE VALUE OF LIFE
           IN AMERICA, THEN THEY'RE SEEN AS LESS USEFUL, LESS NEEDED, LESS

           WANTED, A BURDEN. THE FACT THAT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THIS
           DEBATE, WHO OPPOSE THIS BILL BRING THIS UP AND TALK ABOUT JUST
           THESE CASES SENDS A CHILL DOWN MY SPINE BECAUSE THEY'RE
           APPEALING TO THE DARKER SIDE OF US WHEN THEY DO THAT. THEY'RE
           APPEALING TO OUR PREJUDICE AGAINST PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK LIKE

           US, WHO DON'T ACT LIKE US, WHO AREN'T PERFECT LIKE US. AND THEY
           ARE THE VERY PEOPLE WHO WILL FIGHT HEROIC FIGHTS -- AND I GIVE
           CREDIT TO MANY -- WHO WILL FIGHT THE HEROIC FIGHT TO GIVE
           RIGHTS TO THAT DISABLED CHILD AFTER IT SURVIVES. THAT ONCE THE
           CHILD IS DELIVERED AND ONCE IT'S ALIVE, THEN THEY'LL FIGHT THE
           BATTLE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS A PROPER EDUCATION UNDER
           "IDEA" -- AND THE GENTLEMAN IN THE CHAIR, DR. FRIST, WAS A

           GREAT LEADER IN THAT -- AND WORK WITH SOME OF THE OPPONENTS OF
           THIS BILL ON ENSURING THAT DISABLED INDIVIDUALS HAVE RIGHTS.
           BUT I WONDER HOW THEY CAN JUSTIFY USING THESE CASES TO APPEAL
           TO THIS DARK SIDE OF US US, THIS CULTURAL PHENOMENA IN THIS
           COUNTRY THAT DEMANDS PERFECTION, THAT IS POISONING OUR LITTLE
           GIRLS WITH WHAT PERFECT LITTLE GIRLS MUST LOOK LIKE, THAT IS

           LEADING TO SDARD OFF DISORDER -- DISORDER AFTER DISORDER AS A
           RESULT OF THE STRIVE FOR PERFECTION THAT HAS PERMEATED OUR
           CULTURE. WHAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK LIKE, WHAT YOU HAVE TO SMELL
           LIKE, WHAT YOU HAVE TO WEAR. IF WE FEED INTO THAT, WE'RE SAYING
           THAT THESE POOR CHILDREN AREN'T QUITE WORTHY OF LIFE. AND SO
           WHILE WE'LL FIGHT FOR THEM IF THEY -- ONCE THEY ARE BORN, I
           THINK WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY SAYING IS, BUT WE REALLY HE TH'RE

           NOT BORN IN THE FIRST PLACE. THAT'S VERY DISTURBING BECAUSE I'M
           GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT SOME STORIES ABOUT PARENTS WHO
           MADE A DIFFERENT CHOICE, WHO WHEN THEY HEARD ABOUT THE CHILD
           INSIDE DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT CHILD THE
           WAY GOD LOOKS AT THAT CHILD. AS A BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL CREATURE

           OF GOD. PERFECT IN EVERY WAY IN HIS MOST IMPORTANT EYES. AND
           THEY ACCEPTED CHILDREN FOR AS LONG OR SHORT A TIME ITS LIFE WAS
           TO BE. I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU A STORY FIRST OF ANDREW
           GOWIN. THE LAST TIME WE DEBATED THIS ISSUE IN THE OVERRIDE OF
           THE PRESIDENT'S VETO LAST YEAR, I WAS -- IT WAS LAST FALL. I

           HAD THIS PICTURE UP HERE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT ANDREW. AND I'LL
           DO SO AGAIN, BUT I HAVE A LITTLE ADDENDUM TO THIS STORY. FIRST
           LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT ANDREW. THAT'S ANDREW. ANDREW'S MOTHER IS
           WHITNEY GOWIN. AND SHE HAD A FEELING SOMETHING WAS WRONG FIVE
           MONTHS INTO HER PREGNANCY. SHE WENT IN FOR HER SONOGRAM, THE
           LARGE ABDOMINAL WALL DEFECT WAS DETECTED. SHE DESCRIBED HER

           CONDITION AFTER LEARNING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE
           PREGNANCY, "MY HUSBAND AND I -- MY HUSBAND WAS UNREACHABLE, SO
           I SAT ALONE UNTIL MY MOTHER ARRIVED. AS THE DOCTOR DESCRIBED MY
           BABY AS BEING SEVERELY DEFORMED WITH A GIGANTIC DEFECT AND MOST
           LIKELY MANY OTHER DEFECTS THAT COULD NOT BE DETECTED WITH THEIR
           EQUIPMENT. HE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT BABIES WITH THIS LARGE OF
           A DEFECT ARE OFTEN STILL BORN, LIVE VERY SHORTLY OR COULD
           SURVIVE WITH EXTENSIVE SURGERIES AND TREATMENTS, DEPENDING ON

           THE PRESENCE OF ADDITIONAL ANOMALIES AND COMPLICATIONS AFTER
           BIRTH. THE COMPLICATIONS AND ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS THAT A BABY IN
           HIS CONDITION -- IN THIS CONDITION COULD SUFFER INCLUDE BUT ARE
           NOT LIMITED TO BLADDER, EXTRAPHY, IMPERFORATED ANEWS, DISEASED
           LIVER, CARDIOVASCULAR MALFORMATIONS AND ON. A PERINATOLOGIST
           SUGGESTED THAT SHE STRONGLY CONSIDER HAVING A PARTIAL-BIRTH

           ABORTION. THE DOCTORS TOLD HER IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SHE
           NEEDS TO DO. THAT SHE NEEDS TO DO. HE DESCRIBED THE PROCEDURE
           AS A LATE-TERM ABORTION WHERE THE FETUS WOULD BE ALMOST
           COMPLETELY DELIVERED AND THEN TERMINATED. TERMINATED. THE
           GOWINS CHOSE TO CARRY THEIR BABY TO TERM. THE COMPLICATIONS
           RELATEED TO A DROP IN THE AMNIOTIC FLUID LEVEL CREATED CONCERNS

           AND DOCTORS ADVISED THE GOWINS THAT THE BABY'S CHANCE FOR
           SURVIVAL WOULD BE GREATER OUTSIDE THE WOOM. ON -- WOMB. ON
           OCTOBER 26, 1995, ANDREW GOWIN WAS DELIVERED BY C-SECTION. HE
           WAS BORN WITH AN ABDOMINAL WALL DEFECT NONE AS OMFOLOCELE, A
           CONDITION IN WHICH THE ABDOMINAL ORGAN, STOMACH, LIVER, SPLEEN
           AND SMALL INTESTINE ARE OUTSIDE OF THE BABY'S BODY. BUT STILL
           CONTAINED IN A PROTECTIVE ENVELOPE OF TISSUE. ANDREW HAD HIS

           FIRST OF SEVERAL MAJOR OPERATIONS TWO HOURS AFTER HE WAS BORN.
           ANDREW'S FIRST MONTHS WERE NOT EASY. HE SUFFERED EXCRUCIATING
           PAIN. HE WAS ON A RESPIRATOR FOR SIX WEEKS. HE NEEDED TUBES IN
           HIS NOSE AND THROAT TO CONTINUALLY SUCTION HIS STOMACH AND
           LUNGS. HE NEEDED EIGHT BLOOD TRANCE FISSIONS. HIS MOTHER
           RECALLED THE ENORMOUS PRESSURES OF THE ORGANS BE REPLACED
           SLOWLY IN HIS BODY CAUSING CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE FOR WHICH HE
           RECEIVED EXTENSIVE OXYGEN AND STEROID TREATMENT. AS HE OVERCAME
           PHYSICAL ADDICTION TO THE NUMEROUS PAINKILLERS HE WAS GIVEN. IT

           BROKE HIS PARENTS' HEART TO SEE HIM FFERING SO BADLY. ANDREW
           FOUGHT HARD TO LIVE. AND IN FACT, BRUCE AND WLIT NI GOWIN --
           WHITNEYGO WIN, BABY ANDREW DID LIVE. ON MARCH 1, 19, THE GOWINS
           WELCOMED THEIR SECOND CHILD, MATTHEW, INTO THE FAMILY. HERE'S
           THE PICTURE OF THE TWO OF THEM. CONTRARY TO THE MISINFORMATION
           ABOUT PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION, THERE HAS BEEN -- THAT HAS BEEN

           SO RECKLESSLY REPEATED, CARRYING ANDREW TO TERM DID NOT AFFECT
           WHITNEY'S ABILITY TO HAVE FUTURE CHILDREN. THIS IS THAT LITTLE
           BOY THAT NEEDED TO BE ABORTED. THAT WAS NOT PERFECT IN OUR
           EYES. HE WAS ONE OF THESE ABNORMALITIES THAT WE NEED TO GET RID

           OF. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BOY. WHAT A GIFT HE IS TO HIS
           PARENTS. WHAT A GIFT HE IS TO ALL OF US FOR HIS COURAGE AND
           INSPIRATION INSPIRATION. WHAT INSPIRATION WE GET AS A SOCIETY
           FROM THOSE WHO OVERCOME GREAT ODDS AND PAIN AND STRIFE. HOW
           ENNOBLED WE ARE BY IT. ARE WE ENNOBLED BY PARTIAL-BIRTH
           ABORTION?

           WOULD WE BE ENNOBLED IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY IF WHITNEY GOWINS
           DID WHAT SHE NEEDED TO DO, ACCORDING TO THE DOCTOR?
           WELL, ANDREW GOWIN TOUCHED MORE THAN ONE LIFE DIRECTLY. WHEN I
           HAD THIS PREVIOUS PICTURE UP OF ANDREW LAST YEAR YEAR, I WAS UP
           ABOUT THIS TIME OF NIGHT. AT THAT TIME SENATOR DEWINE WAS IN

           THE CHAIR. AND I WAS THINKING -- AND I HAD CALLED MY WIFE ABOUT
           AN HOUR BEFORE, AS I DID TONIGHT. I SAID HONEY, I JUST HAVE TO
           GET UP AND TALK SOME MORE. I JUST FEEL IT IN ME. I GOT TO SAY
           MORE. I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYBODY'S VOTE, BUT I GOT
           TO SAY IT. I KNOW THERE'S NOBODY ON THIS FLOOR OTHER THAN MIKE
           DEWINE AT THE TIME -- AND NOW BILL FRIST AT THE TIME -- WHO IS
           LISTENING TO WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY. BUT I GOT TO. AND SO HERE I

           AM AGAIN. AND I REMEMBER FINISHING THAT NIGHT.
           
           IT WAS A LITTLE AFTER 10:00.
           
           AND IT WAS AFTER 10:00 BECAUSE THE PAGES ALWAYS ENCOURAGE ME
           WHEN I SPEAK LATE AT NIGHT TO
           
           SPEAK UNTIL AFTER 10:00 SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL IN
           THE MORNING. SO CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE THREE MINUTES AWAY FROM
           THAT.
           
           AND SO IT WAS AFTER 10:00, AND I REMEMBER CLOSING DOWN THE
           SENATE, AND MIKE COMING UP HERE. AND I JUST FELT THIS SENSE

           THAT THIS WAS ALL FOR NOTHING. AS MUCH AS I CARE ABOUT THIS
           ISSUE AND AS WRONG AS I BELIEVE THIS IS FOR OUR COUNTRY THAT
           ALL THAT WAS SAID THAT NIGHT WAS FALLING ON DEAF EARS EARS. AND
           IN FACT THE NEXT DAY WE LOST THE OVERRIDE VOTE. AND SO MY

           FEELING OF FUTILITY, IF YOU WILL, WAS COMPOUNDED. UNTIL A FEW
           DAYS LATER WHEN I RECEIVED AN E-MAIL FROM A YOUNG MAN WHO SAID
           -- QUOTE -- "RECENTLY MY GIRLFRIEND AND I WERE FLIPPING THROUGH
           THE CHANNELS, AND WE CAME ACROSS C-SPAN. AND WERE FORTUNATE
           ENOUGH TO HEAR YOUR SPEECH REGARDING THE EVILS OF PARTIAL-BIRTH
           ABORTION. WE SAW THE PICTURE OF THE LITTLE BOY WITH THE

           HEADPHONES ON. WHO WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE HAD PARENTS WHO
           LOVED HIM AND BROUGHT HIM INTO THIS WORLD INSTEAD OF ENDING HIS
           LIFE PRENATALLY. BOTH OF US WERE MOVED TO TEARS BY YOUR SPEECH.
           AND MY GIRLFRIEND CONFESSED TO ME THAT SHE HAD SCHEDULED AN
           APPOINTMENT FOR AN ABORTION THE FOLLOWING WEEK. SHE NEVER TOLD

           ME ABOUT HER APPOINTMENT FOR AN ABORTION. EXCUSE ME -- SHE
           NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT HER PREGNANCY BECAUSE SHE KNEW THAT I WOULD
           OBJECT TO ANY DECISION TO KILL OUR CHILD. BUT AFTER WATCHING
           YOUR EMOTIONAL SPEECH, SHE LOOKED AT ME AS TEARS ROLLED DOWN
           HER CHEEKS AND TOLD ME THAT SHE COULD NOT GO THROUGH WITH IT.
           WE'RE NOT READY TO BE PARENTS. WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF YEARS
           LEFT OF COLLEGE, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A LARGE STUDENT LOAN TO

           PAY BACK. BUT I AM GRATEFUL THAT MY CHILD WILL LIVE. IT IS A
           TRUE TRAGEDY THAT THE PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION BAN FAILED TO
           OVERRIDE CLINTON'S VETO. BUT PLEASE TAKE SOME COMFORT IN
           KNOWING THAT AT LEAST ONE LIFE WAS SAVED BECAUSE OF YOUR
           SPEECH. YOU HAVE SAVED THE LIFE OF MY CHILD. MAY GOD BLESS YOU
           AND KEEP
{END: 1999/10/20 TIME: 22-00 , Wed.  106TH SENATE, FIRST SESSION}