Prepared text of Sen. Branning's talk in D.C.

Prepared text of Sen. Jenifer Branning rally remarks outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ahead of the Roe hearing:

Good morning.  I am Jenifer Branning, and it has been my honor to serve in the Mississippi State Senate, Where I have been fortunate to work with other elected officials on issues involving the promotion and protection of women and children.

The matter before the court is one that I am very passionate about.  It is also an issue that is extremely important to the people that I represent, as well as scores of other citizens of our state and nation.   House Bill 1510, which passed overwhelmingly in both chambers of our state legislature, is a great leap forward in protecting that most basic human right….the RIGHT TO LIFE.  

ALL life has value, and that value doesn’t just start at birth.  As elected officials, we have an obligation to do everything within our power to preserve that right, and I am proud that our citizens and legislators have worked closely together to make Mississippi the safest state in the nation for the unborn.

As a legislator, but most importantly as a mother, I have both a legislative and a moral responsibility to protect human life and the unborn, all while promoting the health of women.  I believe that House Bill 1510 is a significant step in that direction.

The protection of the unborn should not be viewed as a political football to be kicked around by any one political party, but it should be seen for what it really is.  This is about protecting human rights and ensuring that every person has the basic freedoms each one of us are guaranteed as Americans.  The rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the most basic rights that we enjoy as citizens of this great country.  

I fervently hope and pray that the court will render a decision that will affirm the state’s position and will guarantee that protecting the sanctity of human life and the rights of the unborn is not just a basic human right but is a sacred and guaranteed American right.  And, that the Court’s decision will return policymaking back to the states in a way that both empowers women and promotes life.

It has been my great honor to be here with you today to represent the people of my district and thousands of other Mississippians who are prayerfully waiting for the court’s decision. 

Where we find ourselves today is a great example of what can happen when private citizens and elected officials stand together to defend this most basic American right, and this legislator and mother is honored to stand here with them.

Thank you very much.  May God bless you all and may God continue to bless this country we all love.  Thank you.