The moment I walked into the Senate Subcommittee hearing on S323, the “Unborn Child Protection Act,” the air was thick with tension. I had meticulously prepared for days—I had the facts, the data, and the legal analysis, all of which I laid out in my previous blog post. But in the hours following my testimony, I realized I had missed an opportunity to speak from the heart, to say the things that truly mattered.
If I could do it over, my script would be dramatically different.Perhaps the first change would have been a simple, wry acknowledgment of the bill’s lead sponsor, whose look of disgust at my presence was unmistakable. A casual “It’s also very nice to see you again, too,” would have sufficed.
The real fire was lit when I was twice referred to as “that former Senator who lost their Senate seat because I didn’t support a bill like this.” That was their attempt to discredit me before I even opened my mouth. In hindsight, I should have stood up and waved when they said it, and when I finally stood to speak, my first words would have been: “I am proud to have lost a Senate seat if it meant telling the truth and doing the right thing.“
I would have used my time to speak to the reality of legislative effectiveness. I would have reminded the subcommittee that the sponsor of this deeply flawed bill never passed a single piece of legislation in nine years. I, on the other hand, was consistently a top-ten effective legislator during my twelve years, successfully passing legislation to protect our children, women, families, and veterans.
Now, I sit on the sidelines, fighting a different kind of fight. I’m proud to be here, fighting for what is right, rather than sitting among those whose only commitment is to a single, narrow political objective.
History will judge these actions. And to those who use the pulpit to spread lies, who call themselves Pastors while misleading their flock—they will have to answer for their choices. But I know this: their judgment will not be my barrier to a righteous end.
While I Breathe, I Hope
WHILE I BREATHE 