‘Unplanned:’Rauscher floor speech on ‘changing one’s mind’

Rep. George Rauscher took a few minutes on the House floor today to speak about the movie “Unplanned” and how people can and do change their minds about abortion. He read his thoughtful speech at the end of the House floor session, and it’s included here in its entirety:

“We have many responsibilities here in this chamber, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps none of those is more important than speaking for those who do not have a voice: the poor, the disadvantaged, the sick, the elderly, children.

“Mr. Speaker, we also have a responsibility to be honest with ourselves and with others in the room, even when it challenges the narrative that we have crafted in our own minds and defend with our own reasons.

“For eight years, Abby Johnson proudly worked for the Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas. After a few years, she became the clinic director and won the region’s employee of the year award. She worked tirelessly, as she said, to advocate for women’s healthcare rights. Despite the constant protests of her conservative parents, she was proud of her work and vowed to continue it for the rest of her career.

“Until one day, she was forced to actually watch an abortion procedure. She watched on the ultrasound as a tiny baby was ripped from its mother’s womb. And for the first time, Abby felt the crushing pain of watching a life end.

“This past weekend, Americans were given their first opportunity to hear the amazing story of this woman who did the unthinkable in today’s society: she changed her mind.

“And in this case, she gave up everything – her friends, her lucrative career, and her reputation – to do what her conscience demanded of her: she left.

“This weekend, the movie written about her life, “Unplanned,” debuted at Number 4 in the box office in the United States. The Twitter account for the movie, despite being blocked for its debut weekend, has now surpassed Planned Parenthood’s following – after just one week. Despite the fact that no television networks would run ads for the movie, it has still revived a national conversation.

“It is time for more people to think about their minds and change their minds.

“In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, this issue is not a partisan one – it is a moral one. At one point in history, our nation accepted slavery as an acceptable practice. It took people changing their minds to do the right thing and end slavery for good.

“It is never too late to change one’s mind and to do the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”

Speaker Bryce Edgmon responded only with: “I would remind members to ask permission to read.”